FC Zana Abasha

FC Zana Abasha
GroundMevlud Miminoshvili stadioni, Abasha, Georgia
Capacity1,000
ChairmanVakhtang Gabelaia
Head CoachGiorgi Lataria
LeagueLiga 4
20247th of 15, Liga 4

FC Zana (Georgian: საფეხბურთო კლუბი ზანა) is a Georgian municipal football club based in the town of Abasha. They compete in Liga 4, the fourth tier of Georgian football.

History

The third tier is the highest division where Zana have taken part since the formation of independent Georgian championship in 1990. The team gained promotion to Meore Liga in 2015, although their tenure there lasted two seasons.[1] Following their relegation in 2016, Zana spent seven seasons in Regionuli Liga.

Zana came 3rd in their group tournament three times in four years, including in 2022, when the team was chasing promotion up until the last match. However, having lost a crucial game, they failed to overcome their two rivals and qualify for playoffs.[2]

This season the club turned out to be the only fifth-division side to have prevailed over four opponents in the Cup campaign and progressed into the round of 16 for the first time in their history.[3]

The next year Zana finished 2nd in the western zone of the regional league tournament, which implied securing a play-off qualifying spot. Following a 2–1 win over UG 35,[4] the club earned promotion to the 4th league for 2024.[5]

The team is also a regular participant of the annual Western Cup competition, organized by the regional Football Federation of Imereti. Zana won this tournament in 2020.[6]

Seasons

Year Division Pos M W D L GF–GA Pts Cup
2015–16 Meore Liga, West 10th of 14 26 8 2 16 28–64 26
2016 Meore Liga, West C 5th of 7↓ 12 2 3 7 24–29 9
2017 Regionuli Liga, West A 8th of 15 28 11 4 13 49–57 37 Round 2
2018 Regionuli Liga, West B 5th of 8 14 5 4 5 20–25 19 Round 1
2019 Regionuli Liga, West A 3rd of 19 10 7 1 2 25–9 22
Promotion Group 4th of 10 18 9 0 9 26–28 27
2020 Regionuli Liga, West 3rd of 9 16 8 4 4 23–14 28
2021 Regionuli Liga, West 4th of 9 24 13 3 8 49–35 42 Round 1
2022 Regionuli Liga, C 3rd of 11 20 15 1 4 64–16 46 Round 4
2023 Regionuli Liga, C 2nd of 13↑ 24 19 4 1 101–16 61 Preliminary round
2024 Liga 4 7th of 15 28 13 1 14 51–59 40 Preliminary round

Squad

As of 4 September 2024[7]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Georgia (country) GEO Otar Sturua
2 DF Georgia (country) GEO Yuri Akhalaia
3 DF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Lomidze
4 DF Georgia (country) GEO Nugzar Khoshtaria
5 DF Georgia (country) GEO Levan Tolordava
6 DF Georgia (country) GEO Davit Jojua
7 MF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Jejeia (C)
8 DF Georgia (country) GEO Malkhaz Patsatsia
9 MF Georgia (country) GEO Nika Ghadua
10 MF Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Shengelia
No. Pos. Nation Player
11 MF Georgia (country) GEO Niko Kutateladze
12 GK Georgia (country) GEO Giorgi Sharukhia
13 MF Georgia (country) GEO Irakli Topuria
14 MF Georgia (country) GEO Dato Zakariadze
15 DF Georgia (country) GEO Tengiz Jomidava
16 MF Georgia (country) GEO Rati Bundiladze
17 FW Georgia (country) GEO Giga Kvantaliani
19 MF Georgia (country) GEO Giga Shubladze
21 MF Georgia (country) GEO Tornike Meparishvili
23 MF Georgia (country) GEO Igor Khelaia

Stadium

Zana play their home matches at a 1,000-seater stadium named after Mevlud Miminoshvili (1942–2023). Born in Abasha, he was a FIFA referee, working in the Soviet Top League for ten seasons in the 1980s.[8]

Name

Zana is the name of a river that flows for 42 km in Abasha municipality.

References

  1. ^ "Meore Liga 2016". soccerway.com.
  2. ^ "Regional league, 2022". gff.ge (in Georgian).
  3. ^ "საქართველოს თასი 1/8 ფინალი ზანა 1-4 გურია". fcguria.ge (in Georgian). 13 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Zana vs UG-35". gff.ge (in Georgian). Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  5. ^ ""ზანამ" 2024 წლის ლიგა 4-ში მონაწილეობის უფლება მოიპოვა". abashelebi.ge (in Georgian). 1 December 2023.
  6. ^ "ზანა" აბაშა - "დასავლეთის თასი 2020"-ის გამარჯვებული". irff.ge (in Georgian). 4 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Squad". gff.ge.
  8. ^ "ყველა დამწყებმა მსაჯმა უნდა გაითვალისწინოს: მთავარია, არ გაიფუჭო სახელი!". kvirispalitra.ge (in Georgian). 18 March 2019.