*UPDATED ON WEDNESDAY 18th NOVEMBER 2020*
Monday 16th March 2020 seems an awful long time ago after the year we've all had. This was the day when it was announced to that we would be in a lockdown situation to stop the spread of the virus.
With no live football to watch either in person or on the television many fans were very excited when word spread on social media that the Belarusian Football League was due to start on the Thursday and some of the games were to be broadcast on you tube.
What did I know about Belarus at the time? I knew it wad part of the old Soviet Union and then taking a glance at the league make up I recognised just one team - BATE Borisov - this was due to their exploits in the Champion's AND UEFA Europa League. I could probably name one Belarusian player being Alexander Hleb due to his time spent with Arsenal between 2005 to 2008.
Little did I know over the next nine months I would come to love and appreciate not just all things Belarusian football but also develop a real interest in the country which is home to over 9,000,000 people. The political situation at present is of most concern to many around the world - hopefully, we will see change very soon and we will be be able to visit what is a wonderful country full of friendly and welcoming people.
HERE'S TWENTY THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT BELARUSIAN FOOTBALL and the season is not over yet!
1. VALERY KOLONTAY became the world's most famous accordion player as his tunes and near enough constant playing during Isloch games made him the first real character of Belarusian Football fans in England got to know. Every weekend at Isloch games both home and away you would hear the instrument being played - It was somewhat of a comfort for us all during the first lockdown. (Picture courtesy of @FC_IslochMinsk)
You tube link - ENERGETIK v BATE
3. The cult of NIVALDO RODRIGUES FERREIRA. The Brazilian centre-forward, 32, began the season with Belshina Bobruisk (who were newly promoted to the top tier) was with Gomel, relegated from the Premier League, in 2019 and arrived back in Belarus via a short stay with Gudja United in the Maltese Premier League.
It took him nine games (mostly he was substitute) to score for Belshina which was a pretty important one being an 88th equaliser in a 2-2 draw at FC Minsk. It was the only goal he scored as he moved on to Isloch.
In total this season (so far) he has started just three games and has come on as substitute fifteen times scoring just the one goal.
He has also played for Dynamo Brest in Belarus as well as spells for clubs in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Will Nivaldo still be with Isloch next season or move on somewhere else?
4. The NEMAN GRODNO shirt. Many fans across the United Kingdom chose Neman Grodno as their Belarusian team due to their iconic green and yellow shirt including a large number of Norwich City fans. Social media accounts sprang up across the country waxing lyrical about their winger Gegham Kadimyan. The 'Armenian Messi', 28, has had an outstanding season for Neman which is his first in Belarusian football. (Picture courtesy of @fcneman)
5. MOMO YANSANE - THE WORLD'S FAVOURITE PLAYER - Momo stood out as one of the best players of the season playing 23 times for Isloch scoring 8 goals. I think you can safely say that at a time when the only football being played was in Belarus he was the WORLD'S FAVOURITE PLAYER. The 23 year old Guinean was in his second spell with the Minsk club as he was with them in 2019 scoring 11 goals in 28 games. He spent the winter of 2019 and 2020 in Morocco with Fath Union Sport also known as FUS Rabat. Yansane's goal at Gorodeya were the run with the ball almost the full length of the pitch will be remembered as one of the goals of the season. When you read the interview he did with the BBC here you will discover he suffered personal tragedy this season as his mother passed away - He was unable to travel back for the funeral but courageously continued to play for Isloch before leaving to join 'Black Stars' who play in the Malian Première Division. Many fans will be now be following his career and be keeping an eye on which club he may join next. (Picture courtesy of @FC_IslochMinsk)
You Tube link - ENERGETIK v RUKH BREST
7. The BURKINA FASO connection and WE LOVE OUR SLUTSK song. Slutsk is a city around 65 miles South of Minsk with a population of just over 60,000. Many fans around the world adopted the team with a huge following in Australia.
The club were financially backed by the local sugar factory until this was withdrawn early in the season. This resulted in an online campaign to raise money for the club and new sponsorship was found. It also resulted in song being composed by Andy Bajana called 'We love our Slutsk' which is performed by Yury Trubila - It is now played before all home games.
Fans were also interested in seeing three players from the West African country of Burkina Faso playing 4,500 miles away from their homeland for Slutsk.
28 year old defender Souleymane Koanda (who has two International caps for his country) joined with forward Abdoul Gafar, 21, for the 2020 season. Dramane Salou, 22, played thirteen times for Slutsk scoring one goal before moving to Armenian Premier League side FC Pyunik in early August.
You Tube link to WE LOVE OUR SLUTSK song - WE LOVE OUR SLUTSK
8. THE LAKE/SPLASH GAME between Slavia Mozyr and Slutsk on Friday 3rd July. The weather at the Junactva Stadium was good as the game kicked off but at half time their was rain of biblical proportions which waterlogged the pitch and left puddles all over the surface. In the UK the game would of been called off but not in Belarus - they played on! The game was poised at 2-1 on 73 minutes when the ball held up in the area allowing Belarusian u21 International Gleb Shevchencko to score a third goal for the home side. I don't think there will ever be a game played in these conditions again.
You tube link - THE LAKE/SPLASH GAME
9. SERGEY KURGANSKIY being called up to the National Team for the first time in his career at the youthful age of 34!. The Neman Grodno goalkeeper was a late call up for Belarus's UEFA Nations League games against Lithuania and Albania. Born in Grodno he came through the ranks at his home-town club and re-joined them in 2015 where he had been since - This season he has competed for the number one shirt with Dmitry Dudar who has played 19 times - KURGANSKIY have started 9 games. If you draw parallels from the English game I would say it's like Sheffield United's Billy Sharp who is also aged 34 being called up by Gareth Southgate. (Picture courtesy of @fcneman)
10. BRAZILIAN players making a real impact in Belarus. Like many Central and Eastern European countries many players from Brazil have found their way into the teams in the top division.
Diego Carioca, 22, started the season at Vitebsk which was his second with the club. He has recently moved to tital challenger's Shakhytor Soligorsk.
Torpedo Belaz-Zhodino have three Brazilian players with midfielders Gabriel Ramos and Lipe Veloso starting the season. Ramos, 24, joined from Georgian side Dynamo Batumi whom he helped to promotion to the top flight in his two year spell with them. He has been one of the stand out players for Torpedo this season.
Veloso, 23, joined from Ukranian side Lviv and has played football in Japan for FC Tokyo.
Joining in July was Matheus Celestino Moresche Rodrigues known as 'Moresche' - The 22 year old joined from Riga in Latvia having played in the lower leagues in his home country.
Nivaldo - see number 2!
William, 24, has had a good first season in central defence for Rukh Brest - He joined the newly promoted club from Santa Cruz in his home country.
Wictor Dias, 20, has been with Energetik for two seasons now - He has only made two appearances so far off the bench for the club this season - The midfielder is one of a crop of promosing young players for The Students.
Vitebsk had three Brazilian players on their books but now only have two after Carioca's move to Shakhytor. Julio Cesar, 23, is a central defender and Wanderson, 26, is a midfielder who have been with Vitebsk for three seasons now.
There is now even an Argentinian player in the league as Guido Ratto, 21, joined Slavia Mozyr recently. The midfielder, who spent his youth career was with Spanish club's Valencia and Levante, has also played for Gibraltar United in the top tier of football in Gibraltar.
11. ENERGETIK-BGU's VICTORY AT BATE - They had beaten them on the opening day of the season (see 1) and not many people gave them a chance of a victory at title challenger's BATE for a second time in the same season. The task got harder on 20 minutes Aleksandr Svirepa was red carded but it was Shahboz Umarov who scored a wonder goal just minutes later which was the only goal of the game to seal another famous victory for The Students. Umarov smashed home a right footed free kick from way outside of the penalty box.
It certainly got BATE interested as the Uzbekistani midfielder, 21, has signed a contract with them and will join them for the 2021 season.
BATE have also signed Aleksey Nosko, 24, for next season - He has also starred in midfield for The Students this season and played in this game.
You Tube link to UMAROV's goal - UMAROV GOAL
12. THE SEVEN GOAL THRILLER MINSK DERBY - One of the games of the season as Isloch and FC Minsk shared seven goals at the Traktar Stadium. The winner for FC Minsk was scored by 17 year old defender Kirill Zinovich who is one of a crop of highly promising youngsters with the club - I think manager Vadim Skipchenko who took over in August will have a very good season in 2021. The club were formed in 2006 when they took the licence held by "Smena Minsk" who were formed in 1954 as "FShM Minsk" or to give them their full name Futbolnaya Shkhola Molodyozhi which is translated to Football School of Youth - FC Minsk are most definitely following what the founders of the orginal club set out to do. (Picture courtesy of @FC_IslochMinsk)
You tube link - ISLOCH v FC MINSK
13. GORDEYA v BELSHINA BOBRUISK - A relegation six pointer at The Haradzeya Stadium that for 96 minutes (yes you've read that right!) not much happened and the game was looking at ending 0-0. There then followed five of the most memorable minutes of football I think I've ever seen! Check out the highlights above. If you are going to watch one game - Watch this one!
I wonder if any of the 667 people watching left early??
You tube link - DYNAMO v TORPEDO
15 - Many fans had a soft spot at the beginning of July for SMOLEVICHI FC who were promoted to the top tier after finishing as runner's up in the first league last season. The club were formed in 2009 and were in their second spell in the Premier League having spent the 2018 season amongst the elite. Following a very entertaining 3-3 draw with 2019 Champion's Dynamo Brest the budget at the club was cut with many players leaving along with manager Alexandr Brazevich (now boss at Slutsk) - Aleksey Mikhaylov made a number of signings in time for their home game with Isloch on Friday 10th July - After all the turmoil in the week approaching nobody game Smolevichi a chance but it was an afternoon to remember for their loyal fans. Eighteen year old Vladislav Lozhkin (on loan from Dynamo Minsk) scored twice in a 3-1 win. Sadly The Ozyorny Stadium won't be hosting Premier League football next season as Smoleivichi have been relegated - A great club who we hope to see back at the top level soon!
You Tube link- SMOLEVICHI v ISLOCH
16 - The randomness caused by the BELARUSIAN CUP being played over two seasons allows players to represent two different clubs in the same competition. Pavel Nekhaychik scored for Dynamo Brest against FC Minsk in the Fourth Round in July 2019 but then transfered to BATE Borisov for the 2020 season and played in the final against his former side helping BATE to a victory they secured with a dramatic last gasp winner in the 120th minute of the game.
17 - The amazing English language commentary from Christofer Walker (aka @MottysMic) provided throughout the season. When many people were craving football Chris really did help us with his expertise on many of the games - We are all very thankful for his time and brilliance behind the microphone.
18 - ARTEM RAKHMANOV aka THE WALL at Rukh Brest - The 30 year old central defender has played a huge part of Rukh's first season in the top division. He was nicknamed THE WALL by @mottysmic in one the games he was covering when a young centre forward bounced off of him - 'It's like trying to take a brick wall out with a pea-shooter'.
19 - So near but yet so far for SHAKHTYOR SOLIGORSK in the Belarusian Cup Semi-Final. The first leg of the tie had ended 2-0 to Dynamo Brest and it looked all over when Dynamo scored two in the first half of the second leg at The Stroitel Stadium. Amazingly Shakhtyor scored goals in the 58th, 60th, 66th and 74th minute to make it 4-4 on aggregate. Dynamo held on to scrape through on away goals!
You Tube link - SHAKHTYOR v DYNAMO BREST
20 - A little bit of SNOW AND ICE doesn't stop football being played in Belarus. This was the scene of the first league game played on Wednesday 18th November between Champion's Sputnik Rechitsa and Orsha.
WHO WILL BE CROWNED CHAMPIONS OF THE BELARUSIAN PREMIER LEAGUE 2020?
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