Last season’s runners-up Kuruvchi, meanwhile, play their first match of the forthcoming season away when Mirdjalal Kasimov’s side travels to Namagan to take on Navbakhor, Uzbek champions in 1996.

Sixteen teams will take part in the competition including promoted sides Sogdiana and UzDongJu, while AGMK, third-place finishers in the second division and Metallurg, who should have been relegated, are also taking part in the top flight after Tractor and Tupalang were demoted to the second division due to financial problems.