Saba Lobzhanidze

Saba Lobzhanidze
Personal information
Date of birth (1994-12-18) 18 December 1994 (age 29)
Place of birth Tbilisi, Georgia
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Left winger
Team information
Current team
Atlanta United FC
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)
2016Chikhura Sachkhere (loan) 11 (10)
2017–2019 Randers 84 (28)
2020–2021 MKE Ankaragücü 52 (4)
2021–2023 Hatayspor 61 (9)
2023Fatih Karagumruk (loan) 10 (2)
2023– Atlanta United FC 17 (4)
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 20 April 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 06:30, 17 September 2023 (UTC).

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 FC and the Georgia national team.

Club career[edit]

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 FC on a three-year deal.[7]

Statistics[edit]

As of match played 16 March 2024
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 FC MLS 8 3 0 0 8 3
2024 Atlanta United FC MLS 4 1 0 0 4 1
Career total 292 68 16 4 2 0 5 3 315 74

Source

International career[edit]

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[edit]

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

Honours[edit]

Dinamo Tbilisi

References[edit]

  1. ^ "BRANDVARM GEORGIER TIL RANDERS FC" (in Danish). randersfc.dk. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  2. ^ "აპრილის საუკეთესო - საბა ლობჟანიძე". worldsport.ge (in Georgian). 5 May 2018.
  3. ^ "Saba Lobjanidze solgt til Ankaragücü". randersfc.dk (in Danish). 30 January 2020. Archived from the original on 1 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Ankaragücü vs. Kasımpaşa – 2 February 2020 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  5. ^ Hoffskov, Ole (23 June 2021). "Tidligere Superliga-stjerne skifter klub". Tipsbladet.dk (in Danish).
  6. ^ "საბა ლობჟანიძე ანდრეა პირლოს ხელმძღვანელობით ითამაშებს: ტრანსფერი დადასტურდა". worldsport.ge (in Georgian). Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  7. ^ "Atlanta United signs winger Saba Lobjanidze from Turkish Süper Lig". atlutd.com. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  8. ^ Qualification round
  9. ^ "Uzbekistan draws with Georgia in friendly". The Tashkent Times. 24 January 2017.
  10. ^ "Lobjanidze, Saba". National Football Teams. Retrieved 28 March 2017.

External links[edit]