# 2017–18 Zira FK season

The Zira FK 2017-18 season wa Zira's third Azerbaijan Premier League season, and fourth season in their history. It is their first full season with Aykhan Abbasov as manager, during which they finished the season in fourth place, qualifying for the UEFA Europa League for the second year in a row. Zira were also knocked out of the Azerbaijan Cup by Neftchi Baku at the Quarterfinal stage whilst also reaching the Second qualifying round of the Europa League before defeat by Astra Giurgiu.

## Squad

    As of match played 20 May 2018
| No. | Name | Position | Date of birth (Age) | Signed from | Signed in | Contract ends | Apps. | Goals |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||||
| 1 | Anar Nazirov | GK | (1985-09-08)8 September 1985 (aged 32) | Gabala | 2015 | | 74 | 0 |
| 62 | Abdulla Seyidahmadov | GK | (1997-04-05)5 April 1997 (aged 21) | Ravan Baku | 2016 | | 1 | 0 |
| 85 | Kamal Bayramov | GK | (1985-08-19)19 August 1985 (aged 32) | AZAL | 2015 | | 31 | 0 |
| Defenders ||||||||||
| 3 | Joseph Boum | DF | (1989-09-26)26 September 1989 (aged 28) | | 2017 | | 21 | 0 |
| 5 | Adil Naghiyev | DF | (1995-09-11)11 September 1995 (aged 22) | AZAL | 2015 | | 91 | 6 |
| 13 | Aleksandr Shemonayev | DF | (1985-04-01)1 April 1985 (aged 33) | AZAL | 2015 | | 57 | 1 |
| 16 | Ibrahim Aslanli | DF | (1997-03-21)21 March 1997 (aged 21) | Qarabağ | 2017 | 2020 | 4 | 0 |
| 18 | Yani Urdinov | DF | (1991-03-28)28 March 1991 (aged 27) | loan from Bohemians 1905 | 2018 | 2018 | 12 | 0 |
| 23 | Jovan Krneta | DF | (1992-05-04)4 May 1992 (aged 26) | Chornomorets Odesa | 2015 | | 83 | 6 |
| 39 | Sadig Guliyev | DF | (1995-03-09)9 March 1995 (aged 23) | Gabala | 2017 | | 61 | 0 |
| 57 | Kənan Zülfüqarov | DF | (1999-04-19)19 April 1999 (aged 19) | Trainee | 2017 | | 0 | 0 |
| | Milad Bayramov | DF | (1997-03-21)21 March 1997 (aged 21) | Trainee | 2017 | | 1 | 0 |
| Midfielders ||||||||||
| 4 | Vugar Mustafayev | MF | (1994-08-05)5 August 1994 (aged 23) | Qarabağ | 2017 | | 76 | 1 |
| 7 | Sadio Tounkara | MF | (1992-04-27)27 April 1992 (aged 26) | AZAL | 2017 | 2019 | 19 | 3 |
| 8 | Milan Đurić | MF | (1987-10-03)3 October 1987 (aged 30) | Istra 1961 | 2016 | | 56 | 9 |
| 9 | Alexandru Dedov | MF | (1989-07-26)26 July 1989 (aged 28) | Milsami Orhei | 2018 | | 11 | 4 |
| 11 | Victor Igbekoyi | MF | (1986-09-01)1 September 1986 (aged 31) | AZAL | 2015 | | 89 | 5 |
| 14 | Tellur Mutallimov | MF | (1995-04-08)8 April 1995 (aged 23) | Gabala | 2017 | 2020 | 11 | 1 |
| 17 | Vusal Isgandarli | MF | (1995-11-03)3 November 1995 (aged 22) | Simurq | 2015 | | 56 | 7 |
| 29 | Jomal Williams | MF | (1994-04-28)28 April 1994 (aged 24) | loan from W Connection | 2018 | 2018 | 12 | 1 |
| 38 | Ilkin Muradov | MF | (1996-03-05)5 March 1996 (aged 22) | Trainee | 2015 | | 21 | 0 |
| 47 | Əmrah Bayramov | MF | (1998-10-06)6 October 1998 (aged 19) | Trainee | 2017 | | 0 | 0 |
| 77 | Mirsahib Abbasov | MF | (1993-01-19)19 January 1993 (aged 25) | loan Keshla | 2017 | 2018 | 8 | 0 |
| 87 | Müşfiq İlyasov | MF | (1996-05-08)8 May 1996 (aged 22) | Youth team | 2016 | | 6 | 1 |
| 98 | Elçin Əliyev | MF | (1998-02-27)27 February 1998 (aged 20) | Trainee | 2016 | | 0 | 0 |
| Forwards ||||||||||
| 10 | Orkhan Aliyev | FW | (1995-12-21)21 December 1995 (aged 22) | Kapaz | 2017 | | 9 | 1 |
| 19 | Elgun Nabiyev | FW | (1996-01-04)4 January 1996 (aged 22) | Trainee | 2015 | | 5 | 0 |
| 20 | Jamal Jamalov | FW | (1998-10-09)9 October 1998 (aged 19) | Trainee | 2017 | | 0 | 0 |
| 43 | Richard Gadze | FW | (1994-08-23)23 August 1994 (aged 23) | Delhi Dynamos | 2017 | | 41 | 12 |
| 88 | Elshan Abdullayev | FW | (1994-02-05)5 February 1994 (aged 24) | loan from Qarabağ | 2018 | 2018 | 9 | 1 |
| Left during the season ||||||||||
| 9 | David Manga | FW | (1989-02-03)3 February 1989 (aged 29) | Hapoel Ashkelon | 2017 | | 20 | 2 |
| 10 | Kervens Belfort | FW | (1992-05-16)16 May 1992 (aged 26) | Syrianska | 2017 | | 6 | 1 |
| 14 | Gabriel Matei | DF | (1990-02-26)26 February 1990 (aged 28) | Górnik Łęczna | 2017 | | 14 | 0 |
| 21 | Murad Sattarli | MF | (1992-05-09)9 May 1992 (aged 26) | AZAL | 2016 | | 11 | 0 |
| 28 | Tamkin Khalilzade | MF | (1993-08-06)6 August 1993 (aged 24) | AZAL | 2015 | | 79 | 6 |
| 74 | Yusif Nabiyev | DF | (1997-09-03)3 September 1997 (aged 20) | loan from Gabala | 2017 | | 8 | 0 |
| 99 | Nijat Gurbanov | MF | (1992-02-17)17 February 1992 (aged 26) | Kapaz | 2017 | | 36 | 4 |

## Transfers
### In

| Date | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| 18 May 2017 | MF | Nijat Gurbanov | Kapaz | Undisclosed |
| 29 May 2017 | MF | Rashad Sadiqov | Gabala | Undisclosed |
| 30 May 2017 | FW | Richard Gadze | Delhi Dynamos | Undisclosed |
| 31 May 2017 | FW | Orkhan Aliyev | Kapaz | Undisclosed |
| 9 June 2017 | FW | David Manga | Hapoel Ashkelon | Undisclosed |
| 16 June 2017 | FW | Kervens Belfort | Syrianska | Undisclosed |
| 25 June 2017 | DF | Gabriel Matei | Górnik Łęczna | Undisclosed |
| 4 September 2017 | MF | Sadio Tounkara | AZAL | Undisclosed |
| 30 December 2017 | MF | Tellur Mutallimov | Gabala | Undisclosed |
| 30 December 2017 | DF | Ibrahim Aslanli | Qarabağ | Undisclosed |
| | DF | Joseph Boum | | Free |
| | MF | Vugar Mustafayev | Qarabağ | Undisclosed |
| | MF | Alexandru Dedov | Milsami Orhei | Undisclosed |

### Out

| Date | Position | Name | To | Fee |
| 5 June 2017 | MF | Elvin Mammadov | Gabala | Undisclosed |
| 26 July 2017 | DF | Akeem Latifu | Budapest Honvéd | Undisclosed |
| 18 August 2017 | FW | Kervens Belfort | Jamshedpur | Undisclosed |
| 15 December 2017 | FW | David Manga | Hapoel Ashkelon | Undisclosed |
| 25 December 2017 | MF | Murad Sattarli | Kapaz | Undisclosed |
| 25 December 2017 | MF | Nijat Gurbanov | Sumgayit | Undisclosed |
| 29 December 2017 | DF | Gabriel Matei | Termalica | Undisclosed |
| 30 December 2017 | MF | Tamkin Khalilzade | Gabala | Undisclosed |

### Loans in

| Date from | Position | Name | From | Date to |
| 2 July 2017 | DF | Yusif Nabiyev | Gabala | 3 January 2018 |
| 30 December 2017 | MF | Mirsahib Abbasov | Keşla | End of Season |
| 30 December 2017 | FW | Elshan Abdullayev | Qarabağ | End of Season |
| 7 February 2018 | MF | Jomal Williams | W Connection | End of Season |
| 8 February 2018 | DF | Yani Urdinov | Bohemians 1905 | End of Season |

### Released

| Date | Position | Name | Joined | Date |
| 2 May 2017 | MF | Tural Jalilov | Kapaz | 11 May 2017 |
| 2 May 2017 | DF | Yamin Agakerimzade | Səbail | |
| 10 May 2017 | MF | Javid Taghiyev | Sumgayit | 10 June 2017 |
| 16 May 2017 | MF | Nurlan Novruzov | Səbail | 16 June 2017 |
| 31 May 2017 | MF | Ben Sangaré | Sainte-Geneviève Sports | |
| 31 May 2017 | MF | Giorgi Gorozia | Locomotive Tbilisi | 4 July 2017 |
| 31 May 2017 | MF | César Meza Colli | Keşla | 6 February 2018 |
| 24 July 2017 | MF | Rashad Sadiqov | Neftchi Baku | 11 September |
| 31 May 2018 | GK | Abdulla Seyidəhmədov | | |
| 31 May 2018 | DF | Aleksandr Shemonayev | | |
| 31 May 2018 | DF | Jovan Krneta | Levadiakos | 22 July 2018 |
| 31 May 2018 | MF | Milan Đurić | Vojvodina | |
| 31 May 2018 | MF | Victor Igbekoyi | North Carolina | 27 August 2018 |
| 31 May 2018 | FW | Orkhan Aliyev | Sabail | 2 June 2018 |
| 31 May 2018 | FW | Elgün Nəbiyev | Sabah | |
| 31 May 2018 | FW | Jamal Jamalov | | |
| 31 May 2018 | FW | Richard Gadze | Voluntari | 11 July 2018 |

### Trial

| Date From | Date To | Position | Nationality | Name | Last Club |
| | | DF | | Joseph Boum | Antalyaspor |

## Competitions
### Overview

| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
| Premier League | 13 August 2017 | 20 May 2018 | Matchday 1 | 4th | 28 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 36 | 30 | +6 | 042.86 |
| Azerbaijan Cup | 29 November 2017 | 14 December 2017 | Second Round | Quarterfinal | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 066.67 |
| UEFA Europa League | 29 June 2017 | 20 July 2017 | First Qualifying Round | Second Qualifying Round | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 050.00 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | 35 | 16 | 9 | 10 | 45 | 36 | +9 | 045.71 |
Last updated: 20 May 2018 Source: Competitions

### Premier League
#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: 20 May 2018. Source: See Results

#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 2 | Gabala | 28 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 43 | 26 | +17 | 49 | Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round |
| 3 | Neftçi Baku | 28 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 39 | 28 | +11 | 46 | Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round |
| 4 | Zira | 28 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 36 | 30 | +6 | 44 | |
| 5 | Sumgayit | 28 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 34 | 33 | +1 | 40 | |
| 6 | Keşla | 28 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 29 | 39 | −10 | 31 | Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round |
* ↑ Keşla qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round by winning 2017–18 Azerbaijan Cup.

### UEFA Europa League
#### Qualifying rounds
## Squad statistics

    As of match played 20 May 2018

### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Premier League | Premier League | Azerbaijan Cup | Azerbaijan Cup | Europa League | Europa League |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | AZE | Anar Nazirov | 20 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | CMR | Joseph Boum | 21 | 0 | 16+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | AZE | Vugar Mustafayev | 32 | 0 | 24+2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | AZE | Adil Naghiyev | 28 | 1 | 22+2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | MLI | Sadio Tounkara | 18 | 3 | 10+5 | 3 | 2+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | SRB | Milan Đurić | 27 | 5 | 21 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 |
| 9 | MF | MDA | Alexandru Dedov | 11 | 4 | 8+3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | AZE | Orkhan Aliyev | 9 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | NGA | Victor Igbekoyi | 31 | 1 | 11+14 | 1 | 2+1 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| 13 | DF | AZE | Aleksandr Shemonayev | 11 | 0 | 3+4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | AZE | Tellur Mutallimov | 11 | 1 | 9+2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | DF | AZE | Ibrahim Aslanli | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | AZE | Vusal Isgandarli | 27 | 7 | 11+13 | 5 | 1+2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | MKD | Yani Urdinov | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | AZE | Elgun Nabiyev | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | SRB | Jovan Krneta | 25 | 1 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 29 | MF | TRI | Jomal Williams | 12 | 1 | 8+4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | MF | AZE | Ilkin Muradov | 20 | 0 | 11+6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | DF | AZE | Sadig Guliyev | 18 | 0 | 11+4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 43 | FW | GHA | Richard Gadze | 29 | 9 | 22+1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 3+1 | 2 |
| 62 | GK | AZE | Abdulla Seyidahmadov | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 77 | MF | AZE | Mirsahib Abbasov | 7 | 0 | 2+5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 85 | GK | AZE | Kamal Bayramov | 14 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 87 | MF | AZE | Müşfiq İlyasov | 6 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 88 | FW | AZE | Elshan Abdullayev | 9 | 1 | 7+2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | AZE | Milad Bayramov | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Players who left Zira during the season: ||||||||||||
| 6 | MF | AZE | Rashad Sadiqov | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3+1 | 1 |
| 9 | FW | CTA | David Manga | 20 | 2 | 8+5 | 0 | 2+1 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| 10 | FW | HAI | Kervens Belfort | 6 | 1 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 14 | DF | ROU | Gabriel Matei | 14 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | AZE | Murad Sattarli | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | AZE | Tamkin Khalilzade | 19 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 |
| 74 | DF | AZE | Yusif Nabiyev | 8 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 99 | MF | AZE | Nijat Gurbanov | 9 | 1 | 1+4 | 1 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 |

### Goal scorers

| Place | Position | Number | Name | Premier League | Azerbaijan Cup | Europa League | Total |
| 1 | FW | 43 | Richard Gadze | 7 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| 2 | MF | 17 | Vusal Isgandarli | 5 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | MF | 8 | Milan Đurić | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | MF | 28 | Tamkin Khalilzade | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | MF | 9 | Alexandru Dedov | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 6 | MF | 7 | Sadio Tounkara | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 7 | FW | 9 | David Manga | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | FW | 99 | Nijat Gurbanov | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | 11 | Victor Igbekoyi | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | DF | 23 | Jovan Krneta | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | DF | 5 | Adil Naghiyev | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | 29 | Jomal Williams | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | FW | 88 | Elshan Abdullayev | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | 87 | Müşfiq İlyasov | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | 14 | Tellur Mutallimov | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | 10 | Orkhan Aliyev | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | FW | 7 | Kervens Belfort | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | 6 | Rashad Sadiqov | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | | | TOTALS | 36 | 4 | 5 | 45 |

### Disciplinary record

| Number | Position | Name | Premier League | Premier League | Azerbaijan Cup | Azerbaijan Cup | Europa League | Europa League | Total | Total |
| 1 | GK | Anar Nazirov | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | Joseph Boum | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | Vugar Mustafayev | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | Adil Naghiyev | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | Sadio Tounkara | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | Milan Đurić | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| 9 | MF | Alexandru Dedov | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | Victor Igbekoyi | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 13 | DF | Aleksandr Shemonayev | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | Vusal Isgandarli | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | Yani Urdinov | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 23 | DF | Jovan Krneta | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 29 | MF | Jomal Williams | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 38 | MF | Ilkin Muradov | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 39 | DF | Sadig Guliyev | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 43 | FW | Richard Gadze | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 77 | MF | Mirsahib Abbasov | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 85 | GK | Kamal Bayramov | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | DF | Milad Bayramov | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Players who left Zira during the season: ||||||||||||
| 14 | DF | Gabriel Matei | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | Tamkin Khalilzade | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 74 | DF | Yusif Nabiyev | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 99 | MF | Nijat Gurbanov | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | | TOTALS | 73 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 91 | 4 |