Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
How they qualified: Runners-up - Uzbek League 2011, AFC Cup winners 2011
Established 1997
Nickname The Dragons
Home stadium Central Stadium (16,000)
Website www.fcnasaf.uz
Club Honours
AFC Cup winners 1 - 2011
Previous ACL appearances
Nil
Coming off their finest ever season, Uzbek side Nasaf will be looking to kick on and make an impression in their first appearance in the AFC Champions League.
Since their formation in 1997, the club from Karshi have been among the leading clubs in the Uzbek league although they have not been able to challenge the dominance of Pakhtakor and Bunyodkor at the top of the table.
But in 2011, they made some positive steps as they won their first piece of silverware after beating Al Kuwait in the AFC Cup final, reached the final of the Uzbek Cup with a semi-final victory over Bunyodkor and usurped Pakhtakor to finish second in the league, their highest ever placing.
While they will be seeking to improve in 2012, Nasaf will have to do so without some of their key men from last season. Ukrainian coach Anatoliy Demyanenko has left the club after two seasons in charge to return home while all-star midfielder Lutfulla Turaev and defender Artyom Filiposyan have moved to Bunyodkor.
Incoming coach Ruziqul still has plenty of outstanding talent to deal with in Karshi including the all-star duo of right-back Jakhongir Djiyamurudov and left winger Artur Gevorkyan as well as goalkeeper Murotjon Zukhorov, who has proven his class at Nasaf after being in the shadow of Ignatiy Nesterov for Bunyodkor and the Uzbekistan national team.
Expectations
Nasaf romped through the group stage of the AFC Cup last year en route to the title but they will find the going a lot tougher this year against the cream of Asian club football in the AFC Champions League. The key will be how they cope with the departure of Lutfulla Turaev, who played every minute of their AFC Cup campaign last year and contributed some vital goals along the way.
Coach
Ruziqul Berdiev
A former player and assistant coach at Nasaf, Ruziqul Berdiev took over as the head coach in January after Anatoliy Demyanenko decided to return home to Ukraine to manage top flight side Volyn Lutsk. As a native of Qashqadaryo province, Berdiev has long been associated with Nasaf, having joined them in their inaugural season in 1997 and played over 300 games for the club during 12 seasons before he retired and took up a coaching role there.
Did you know?
Despite only finishing third in the Uzbek League in 2000, Nasaf took up Uzbekistan's slot in the Asian Club Championship in the 2001-02 season. They made the most of the opportunity by going all the way to the semi-finals before they were beaten by eventual winners Suwon Bluewings of Korea.
Key Player
Murotjon Zukhorov
Murotjon Zukhorov underlined his potential at Bunyodkor when he conceded only two goals in eight games in the AFC Champions League in 2008 and 2009, but his opportunities with the Uzbek giants became limited after they signed Ignatiy Nesterov. The 29-year-old joined Nasaf in 2010 and was an ever-present during their run to the AFC Cup final last year when he allowed only eight goals in 12 games and stopped two penalties in their shootout victory against Chonburi in the quarter-finals.