Young fans interviewed on the streets of Tashkent revealed their rising interest in Rosh Saudi League clubs TASHKENT: Football fans in Uzbekistan have revealed their admiration for Saudi Arabian football ahead of Al-Ittihad’s AFC Champions League Round of 16 first leg against Navbahor on Thursday night, Arriyadiyah has reported. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The Roshn Saudi League enjoys a high degree of popularity in the central Asian nation and a number of young fans interviewed on the streets of Tashkent conceded that the reigning Saudi champions are heavy favorites to beat Navbahor when they clash in the city of Namagan, a four-hour drive to the east of the capital. The fans revealed that the popularity of Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad, in particular, has risen since the influx of international stars over the last year. Not surprisingly, many highlighted Al-Nassr as their favorite Saudi team thanks to the exploits of Cristiano Ronaldo, while others praised the Brazilian Fabinho and Frenchman N’Golo Kante at Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal’s array of foreign stars, led by Neymar. Most of the fans interviewed by Arriyadiyah on Babur Street emphasized their interest in the AFC Champions League, predicting an Al-Ittihad win against Navbahor over the two legs, referencing Al-Hilal’s recent 2-0 win against the same opponents in the group stage. The return leg will see Al-Ittihad host Navbahor in Jeddah on Feb. 22.