# Ruslan Mingazow

Ruslan Kamilýewiç Mingazow (Tatar: Руслан Камил улы Минһаҗев; born 23 November 1991) is a Turkmen professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Hong Kong Premier League club Kitchee and the Turkmenistan national team.

## Club career
### Early career

Ruslan Mingazov started playing football at the age of 6, being taken to the first training by his father, Kamil, who is also a former Turkmeni footballer. At the beginning he had to train with an older group of players because there was none for his age. Mingazow played for FC Aşgabat youth team and was taken to the first team in 2007, aged 16. The same year he helped his club win the Turkmenistan Super Cup. A year later Mingazow became the champion of Turkmenistan, winning the 2008 Ýokary Liga. In 2009 Mingazow participated in the Turkmenistan President's Cup and helped his club reach the semi-finals, scoring two goals in three matches.

### Skonto Rīga

Following the impressive performance at the Turkmenistan President's Cup, Mingazow was invited to join the tournament's finalists, Latvian Higher League club Skonto Rīga, on trial by their manager Paul Ashworth. Having received another offer from Armenian Premier League, Mingazow, eventually, signed a contract with the Latvian side in June 2009. He scored his first Latvian Higher League goal in a 5–0 victory over Daugava Rīga on 8 July 2009. During his first season at the club Mingazow participated in 20 league matches, scoring twice. In 2010 Mingazow helped Skonto become the champions of Latvia for the first time since 2004 under their new manager Aleksandrs Starkovs. In 2011 Skonto won the Baltic League, beating another Latvian side FK Ventspils in the final's penalty shoot-out. In 2012 Mingazow won the Latvian Cup, as Skonto beat Liepājas Metalurgs in the final via penalty shoot-out. On 4 July 2013 Mingazow scored the only goal in 1–0 away victory over FC Tiraspol, helping Skonto reach the second round of the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League. In the second round Mingazow provided an excellent assist for his team-mate Artūrs Karašausks as Skonto beat the Synot liga side Slovan Liberec 2–1 at home. Mingazow was named the best player of the Latvian Higher League in August 2013.

### Baumit Jablonec

On 27 August 2014 Mingazow joined the Czech First League club Baumit Jablonec.

### Slavia Prague

Mingazow joined another Czech First League team, Slavia Prague, in June 2016. On 2 April 2017, he gained notoriety in Czech press after winning a controversial penalty kick in the Sparta - Slavia derby, allowing Slavia to equalize from the spot in injury time. The disciplinary board of referees later ruled that it had been a dive by Mingazow, but no punishment was issued. He scored his first league goal for Slavia on 17 April 2017 in a 4–0 home win against Hradec Králové. On 15 June 2018, Slavia announced that Mingazow will be looking for new opportunities and will no longer play for Slavia. On 7 September 2018, Slavia announced that Mingazow had joined 1. FK Příbram on loan for the first half of the season.

### Irtysh Pavlodar

23 July 2019 Ruslan Mingazow, as a free agent, signed a contract with Kazakhstani FC Irtysh Pavlodar. In December 2019, he extended the contract until the end of 2020. In the spring of 2020, due to financial problems, FC Irtysh Pavlodar withdrew from the championship of Kazakhstan. The footballer spent 13 matches for FC Irtysh Pavlodar, scored 2 goals and gave 3 assists in the Kazakhstan Premier League.

### Shakhter Karagandy

On 6 August 2020, Mingazow signed for Kazakh club FC Shakhter Karagandy, making his debut on 19 August, in a 1-0 defeat to FC Kaisar.

### Caspiy

On 26 February 2021, FC Caspiy announced the signing of Mingazow.

### Kitchee

On 3 March 2022, Kitchee announced the signing of Mingazow. Mingazow made his debut for Kitchee in Buriram on August 19, 2022, in an AFC Champions League 2022 match against Buriram United (0:4).
In January 2023, Kitchee announced the extension of Ruslan Mingazov's contract until 2025.
On 23 May 2023, Mingazow was named the player of the season in Hong Kong Top Footballer Awards.

## International career

Mingazow made his senior national team debut on 14 April 2009, in a 2010 AFC Challenge Cup Qualification match against Maldives. He scored his first national team goal against Bhutan in the very next match on 16 April 2009, also in AFC Challenge Cup qualifying.

## Personal life

Mingazow is an ethnic Tatar. Ruslan Mingazow's father Kamil is also a former Turkmenistani footballer, who played for the national team. He has got two sisters, one of whom is 3 years older and the other one 14 years younger. His younger sister, Kamila Mingazowa, is also a professional footballer and futsal player. During his stay in Riga Mingazow was studying business management at the Baltic International Academy.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 31 May 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National Cup | National Cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Skonto | 2009 | Latvian Higher League | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 2 |
| Skonto | 2010 | Latvian Higher League | 16 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 8 |
| Skonto | 2011 | Latvian Higher League | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 1 |
| Skonto | 2012 | Latvian Higher League | 29 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 6 |
| Skonto | 2013 | Latvian Higher League | 18 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 26 | 11 |
| Skonto | 2014 | Latvian Higher League | 16 | 9 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 10 |
| Skonto | Total | Total | 112 | 34 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 1 | — | — | 131 | 38 |
| Jablonec | 2014–15 | Czech First League | 24 | 5 | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Jablonec | 2015–16 | Czech First League | 16 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Jablonec | Total | Total | 40 | 10 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 55 | 13 |
| Slavia Prague | 2016–17 | Czech First League | 16 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 5 |
| Slavia Prague | 2017–18 | Czech First League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 |
| Slavia Prague | 2017–18 | Czech First League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Slavia Prague | Total | Total | 19 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 5 |
| Mladá Boleslav (loan) | 2017–18 | Czech First League | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 2 |
| 1. FK Příbram (loan) | 2018–19 | Czech First League | 20 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 |
| Irtysh Pavlodar | 2019 | Kazakhstan Premier League | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 2 |
| Irtysh Pavlodar | 2020 | Kazakhstan Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 |
| Irtysh Pavlodar | Total | Total | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 2 |
| Shakhter Karagandy | 2020 | Kazakhstan Premier League | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 3 |
| Caspiy | 2021 | Kazakhstan Premier League | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 20 | 5 |
| Kitchee | 2022–23 | Hong Kong Premier League | 18 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 21 |
| Kitchee | 2023– 24 | Hong Kong Premier League | 11 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 0 | | | 21 | 8 |
| Kitchee | Total | Total | 29 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 29 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 273 | 84 | 38 | 15 | 23 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 334 | 101 |
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Appearances in the UEFA Champions League
* ↑ 1 Appearance in the UEFA Champions League, and 0 Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
* ↑ 0 Appearances in the UEFA Champions League, and 0 Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Appearances in the Czech First League Relegation play-offs

### International

    As of match played 21 November 2023
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Turkmenistan | 2009 | 2 | 1 |
| Turkmenistan | 2010 | 3 | 0 |
| Turkmenistan | 2011 | 2 | 0 |
| Turkmenistan | 2012 | 5 | 1 |
| Turkmenistan | 2013 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkmenistan | 2014 | 1 | 0 |
| Turkmenistan | 2015 | 3 | 1 |
| Turkmenistan | 2016 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkmenistan | 2017 | 3 | 1 |
| Turkmenistan | 2018 | 2 | 0 |
| Turkmenistan | 2019 | 4 | 1 |
| Turkmenistan | 2020 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkmenistan | 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkmenistan | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkmenistan | 2023 | 5 | 2 |
| Total | Total | 30 | 6 |
    Scores and results list Turkmenistan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mingazow goal.
List of international goals scored by Ruslan Mingazow :
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 16 April 2009 | Rasmee Dhandu Stadium, Malé, Maldives | Bhutan | 4–0 | 7–0 | 2010 AFC Challenge Cup qualification |
| 2 | 8 March 2012 | Halchowk Stadium, Kathmandu, Nepal | Maldives | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2012 AFC Challenge Cup |
| 3 | 16 June 2015 | Sport toplumy, Dashoguz, Turkmenistan | Iran | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 28 March 2017 | Taipei Municipal Stadium, Taipei, Taiwan | Chinese Taipei | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
| 5 | 21 November 2023 | Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 21 November 2023 | Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |

## Honours

Aşgabat
* Ýokary Liga: 2008
* Turkmenistan Super Cup: 2007
Skonto
* Latvian Higher League: 2010
* Latvian Football Cup: 2011–12
* Baltic League: 2010–11
Slavia Prague
* Czech First League: 2016–17
Kitchee
* Hong Kong Premier League: 2022–23
* Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield: 2022–23, 2023–24
* Hong Kong FA Cup: 2022–23
* HKPLC Cup: 2023–24
Individual
* Hong Kong Premier League top goalscorer: 2022–23
* Hong Kong Premier League Footballer of the Year: 2022–23
* Hong Kong Premier League Team of the Year: 2022–23