Jonathan Gradit, Kevin Danso, Facundo Medina. For three years, this trio has been making rain and (especially) shine in the Lens defense. But at the start of the season, a young troublemaker from Central Asia shows up. His name? Abdukodir Khusanov. Match after match, the Uzbek international made a place for himself in the blood and gold eleven, which he never left despite the return of Danso after his failed transfer to Roma.
When he arrives in Artois for 100,000 euros in the summer of 2023, Khusanov is an illustrious unknown. It must be said that with his head regen Football Manager and his taciturn character, the defender born on February 29 easily goes unnoticed. « It's Kodir, he doesn't talk, but he's good », summed up his coach Will Still last September. « He is very shy, explains Narzulla Saydullaev, journalist for the Uzbek sports media Championat.asia. When he plays with the national team, you never hear him. » The Tashkent native studies at the FK Bunyodkor training center, a « Masia ouzbèke » partner of FC Barcelona. He follows in the footsteps of his father Hikmat Hashimov, former central defender for the club and the national team.“Her father has always been her idol, says Murod Otajanov, Khusanov's trainer at Bunyodkor and his father's former teammate . He instilled in him a discipline that continues to guide him today. »
“When Abdukodir plays, millions of Uzbeks watch Lens matches »
The path has not been easy for “Kodir” who, in 2022, is considered too small and too thin by his trainers, pushing him to say goodbye to Bunyodkor. He then tried his luck in Belarus, at Energetik-BGU. “That’s where he really took off”judge Narzulla Saydullaev. A few months after his arrival in Minsk, he became an indisputable club starter and won the U20 Asian Cup with his selection. His performances escape neither CIES (which considers him one of the most promising central defenders in the world) nor RC Lens, who secure his services for a pittance.
By landing in Ligue 1, the 19-year-old defender carries the footballing hopes of an entire country: with his compatriot Eldor Shomurodov (AS Roma), they are only two Uzbeks to play in one of the five major championships. The progress of the young prodigy is therefore closely followed by his fans in the country. « QWhen Abdukodir plays,Millions of Uzbeks watch Lens matchess'enflamme Saidullaev. He is the first Uzbek in the history of Ligue 1, so we are very proud of him. » The RC Lens Instagram account is witness to this fervor: each photo where Khusanov appears is acclaimed by Uzbek fans, who overwhelm the comments section with their blue, white and green flag.
A little over a year after his tiptoe arrival in Artois, the man who now has sixteen capes with the White Wolves is gradually integrating into the Lensois collective. The language barrier does not really seem to slow him down, the newcomer to the blood and gold rearguard having made friends with the Ecuadorian Jhoanner Chávez. “I have no idea how they communicate,” Will Still laughs at a press conference. “In the beginning, before the club hired an interpreter, we communicated with a translator on my phone, explains the main person involved in an interview with Uzbek media. Frankowski speaks a little Russian, that helps too. » For his first season in France, he played fifteen matches and tasted the Champions League. The young international also leaves an impression that he will end up confirming: that of an imposing player.
Much more than a nag
The misfortune of one person makes the happiness of others. This season, the imbroglio surrounding the transfer of Danso to Roma allows “Kodir” to establish himself as a starter in the three-way Lensoise hinge. Although he is skilled with the ball and has a good sense of positioning, Khusanov impresses above all with his physical power. ” It is a monster, what he did again tonight… He scares me”, laughed Brice Samba after yet another solid performance from his young teammate against Nice (0-0).
In Uzbekistan, they say that being hit by a train or by Abdukodir is the same thing.
Coming from a country where wrestling is an age-old tradition, Khusanov seems cut out for the duel. When Still compares it to a “war machine”his compatriots go further.“In Uzbekistan, they say that being hit by a train or by Abdukodir is the same thing”laughs Narzulla Saydullaev. A taste for one-on-one which is reflected in the stats: among Ligue 1 central defenders, the Lensois has the highest success rate in duels (84.6%). Far from the cliché of the nag defender, Khusanov is developing different aspects of his game. In recent weeks, he has stood out for his offensive contribution, with two shots against Saint-Étienne and an unconverted effort by Anass Zaroury against LOSC.
These feats have major consequences for the artesian collective. While for three years, Danso, Medina and Gradit have been living happy days without any serious competitor emerging, the three friends now have things to worry about. Enough to give Will Still a headache: should one of the members of the established trio be sacrificed for the benefit of the young, growing company? The Belgian-British seems to have chosen: against ASSE, it was Gradit who bore the brunt of this new competition. A choice that seems logical, as the” drill “ Blood and Gold seems to have lost its ability to penetrate enemy lines. But the former Reims coach is still looking for himself and seems ready to make any tactical adjustments to keep the young Uzbek in the eleven: a week later, in the derby against LOSC, Still combines Gradit, Danso and Khusanov, relegating Medina to the sentry role. If the Argentinian has adapted quite well to his coach's discovery, it is difficult to imagine this pattern in the long term. This Saturday's shock against PSG will undoubtedly help Will Still decide.
“I had never heard such an explanation,” says Kevin Danso on his aborted transfer to Roma
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