Saba Lobzhanidze
Saba Lobjanidze (Georgian: საბა ლობჟანიძე, romanized: saba lobzhanidze, pronounced [saba lobʒanidze]; born 18 December 1994) is a Georgian professional footballer who plays for Major League Soccer club Atlanta United, and the Georgia national team.
.jpg.webp) | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 18 December 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Tbilisi, Georgia | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Atlanta United | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2007 | Norchi Dinamoeli | ||
| 2007–2009 | Tbilisi | ||
| 2009–2013 | Dinamo Tbilisi | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2014 | Dinamo Tbilisi II | 19 | (5) |
| 2014–2017 | Dinamo Tbilisi | 59 | (12) |
| 2016 | → Chikhura Sachkhere (loan) | 11 | (10) |
| 2017–2019 | Randers | 84 | (28) |
| 2020–2021 | MKE Ankaragücü | 52 | (4) |
| 2021–2023 | Hatayspor | 61 | (9) |
| 2023 | → Fatih Karagumruk (loan) | 10 | (2) |
| 2023– | Atlanta United | 9 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2012–2013 | Georgia U19 | 4 | (0) |
| 2014–2016 | Georgia U21 | 8 | (3) |
| 2017– | Georgia | 35 | (3) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 October 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 06:30, 17 September 2023 (UTC). | |||
Club career
Born in Tbilisi, Lobzhanidze started playing for Norchi Dinamoeli at the age of 10. Later he joined Dinamo Tbilisi.
In June 2017, Lobzhanidze signed a three-year contract with Randers.[1] In April 2018, in six games Lobjhanidze scored six times for Randers, including a hat-trick against Sønderjyske, which won him the Player of the Month award among Georgian football players. Besides, he was twice named in team of the week in Danish Superliga.[2]
On 30 January 2020, Lobzhanidze signed with Turkish club MKE Ankaragücü.[3] He made his debut on 2 February in a 1–1 league draw against Kasımpaşa.[4]
In June 2021, Lobzhanidze signed a three-year contract with Hatayspor, after Ankaragücü had relegated from the Süper Lig.[5]
Following a devastating earthquake in Turkey and subsequent withdrawal of Hatayspor from the league in February 2023, he joined Karagumruk on loan until the end of the season.[6]
In early August 2023, Lobjanidze moved to MLS club Atlanta United on a three-year deal.[7]
Statistics
- As of match played 8 October 2023
| Season | Team | League | National Cup | European Cup | Other | Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | App | Goals | Name | App | Goals | Name | App | Goals | Name | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| 2012–13 | Dinamo Tbilisi II | PL | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2013–14 | PL | 18 | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 18 | 5 | ||||
| Total Dinamo Tbilisi II | 19 | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 19 | 5 | |||||
| 2014–15 | Dinamo Tbilisi | UL | 24 | 1 | DKC | 6 | 1 | – | – | Supercup | 1 | 0 | 31 | 2 | |
| 2015–16 | UL | 15 | 2 | DKC | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 16 | 2 | |||
| 2016 | Chikhura (loan) | UL | 12 | 9 | DKC | 3 | 2 | UEL | 2[8] | 0 | – | – | 17 | 11 | |
| 2017 | Dinamo Tbilisi | UL | 13 | 7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 13 | 7 | |||
| Total Dinamo Tbilisi | 52 | 10 | 7 | 1 | – | – | 1 | 0 | 60 | 11 | |||||
| 2017–18 | Randers | SL | 29 | 9 | DC | 2 | 1 | – | – | Play-offs | 4 | 3 | 35 | 13 | |
| 2018–19 | SL | 37 | 8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 37 | 8 | ||||
| 2019–20 | SL | 15 | 8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 15 | 8 | ||||
| Total Randers | 81 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 87 | 29 | |||||||
| 2019–20 | MKE Ankaragücü | TSL | 15 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 15 | 1 | |||
| 2020–21 | TSL | 37 | 3 | TC | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 38 | 3 | |||
| Total MKE Ankaragücü | 52 | 4 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 53 | 4 | |||||
| 2021–22 | Hatayspor | TSL | 37 | 8 | TC | 3 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 40 | 8 | ||
| 2022–23 | TSL | 21 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 21 | 1 | ||||
| Total Hatayspor | 58 | 9 | 3 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 61 | 9 | |||||
| 2022–23 | Karagumruk (loan) | TSL | 10 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10 | 2 | |||
| 2023 | Atlanta United | MLS | 8 | 3 | – | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 8 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 292 | 67 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 315 | 74 | |||||
International career
Lobzhanidze made his debut for the Georgia national football team on 23 January 2017 in a friendly against Uzbekistan, scoring one of the two goals of his team.[9]
International goals
- Scores and results list Georgia's goal tally first.[10]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 23 January 2017 | The Sevens Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates |  Uzbekistan | 2–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 2. | 10 June 2019 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Denmark | 1–1 | 1–5 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualification |
| 3. | 25 March 2023 | Batumi Stadium, Batumi, Georgia |  Mongolia | 6–1 | 6–1 | Friendly |
References
- "BRANDVARM GEORGIER TIL RANDERS FC" (in Danish). randersfc.dk. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
- "აპრილის საუკეთესო - საბა ლობჟანიძე". worldsport.ge (in Georgian). 5 May 2018.
- "Saba Lobjanidze solgt til Ankaragücü". randersfc.dk (in Danish). 30 January 2020. Archived from the original on 1 February 2020.
- "Ankaragücü vs. Kasımpaşa – 2 February 2020 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- Hoffskov, Ole (23 June 2021). "Tidligere Superliga-stjerne skifter klub". Tipsbladet.dk (in Danish).
- "საბა ლობჟანიძე ანდრეა პირლოს ხელმძღვანელობით ითამაშებს: ტრანსფერი დადასტურდა". worldsport.ge (in Georgian). Retrieved 18 February 2023.
- "Atlanta United signs winger Saba Lobjanidze from Turkish Süper Lig". atlutd.com. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- Qualification round
- "Uzbekistan draws with Georgia in friendly". The Tashkent Times. 24 January 2017.
- "Lobjanidze, Saba". National Football Teams. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
External links
- Saba Lobzhanidze – UEFA competition record (archive)
- Saba Lobzhanidze at Soccerway
- Saba Lobzhanidze at National-Football-Teams.com