Today would have marked Hafiz Namazov's 80th birthday. Born on September 4, 1944, in Baku, Hafiz's remarkable career began at just 17, when he helped the Azerbaijani schoolchildren's team secure victory at the VII All-Union Spartakiad, alongside future football stars Vyacheslav Shekhov and Nikolay Bogdanov.
In 1965, Hafiz scored the only goal for his team in a 1:3 match against Dinamo Ganja, leading him to join the Ganja team the following season.
By 1968, he was a key defender for Dinamo (later Kapaz), helping them rise to the top tier of the USSR Championship. Wearing jersey number 2, Hafiz played 20 games, receiving 2 yellow cards and contributing to victories over teams like Ararat (1:0) and CSKA Moscow (1:0).
Hafiz later moved to Kazakhstan, where he played for FC Alatau Dzhambul in the early 1970s, a team that would later become the Taraz. Interestingly, Kurban Berdyev, now a coach at Turan, began his coaching career with this team.
After retiring from playing, Hafiz transitioned to coaching, leading Khazar Lankaran in the mid-1970s and working with the Youth Football School. He also served as a representative for AFFA, officiating games in the Azerbaijan national championship. Hafiz Namazov passed away in 2005.
While Hafiz's achievements were significant, his brother Asaf is also well-remembered, having been a leading defender for Neftchi and a member of the USSR Olympic team. Asif Namazov, another brother, gained recognition as a prominent referee.
Rasim Movsumzada
Idman.biz
