Navbahor names Temur Kapadze as new head coach

Former Uzbekistan national team head coach Temur Kapadze has decided to remain in the country after reaching an agreement with Super League side Navbahor. The 44-year-old specialist had been expected to move to Indonesia, where he held several rounds of talks with the national federation, but ultimately chose to continue his career in Namangan.

Navbahor officially announced Kapadze’s appointment as the club’s new head coach. According to the club’s press service, the experienced manager held detailed discussions with the club’s leadership and agreed on future plans and objectives before signing a contract. He is set to begin working with the squad immediately.

Earlier, Navbahor was led by Sherzod Juraev for the 2025 season, with the team finishing seventh in the league table on 40 points.

Kapadze’s coaching career includes spells as head coach of Uzbekistan’s Olympic team and Super League side Olympic. In January 2025, he was appointed interim head coach of the national team after Srećko Katanec stepped down due to health issues. Under his leadership, Uzbekistan secured its first-ever spot at a FIFA World Cup.

However, the Uzbekistan Football Association later decided to move forward with Italian coach Fabio Cannavaro for the 2026 World Cup campaign. Kapadze remained on the staff for a brief period as an assistant coach but expressed his desire to work independently and left the national team setup in November.

Despite strong interest from Indonesia’s national team, Kapadze ultimately opted to stay in Uzbekistan and take on a new challenge with Navbahor.