Belarus' players of the century

By Denis Orlov

Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was relatively hard to find a Belarussian player who had scored more than 100 first-class goals. However, since the former Soviet Republic gained its independence, centurions have become increasingly common.

First-class goals
If first-class goals are only counted as those scored in élite national leagues, national cups, and official international matches, you can see how the odds were stacked against Belarussian players achieving a century of goals in the past.

Limited opportunities
The Belarussian championship could not be called a national league until after the fall of the Soviet Bloc, and with Belarussian players competing with citizens from all of the other Soviet Republics for a place in the USSR national team, opportunities were not plentiful for Belarussian players.

Malofeev first
However, the best of them still thrived, as the career of Eduard Malofeev proved. Playing for the only Belarussian club to regularly compete in the Soviet Supreme League, FC Dinamo Minsk, he scored exactly 100 Soviet league goals in a career that spanned the years between 1963 and 1974.

National coach
A combative forward and clinical finisher, Malofeev was known for his hard work and leadership skills - in the final part of his career he took an organisational career in midfield - six goals for the USSR and three more in the Soviet Cup saw the future Belarus national coach retire with 109 goals to his name.

Soviet achiever
The next Belarussian centurion, Georgi Kondratyev, did not reach his century until the 1990s, having played for Dinamo, FC Chornomorets Odesa and FC Lokomotiv Moskva and made regular appearances for the USSR between 1984 and 1986. He was to end his career with an impressive tally of 134 goals.

More centurions
The foundation of the Belarussian league and the birth of the Belarussian national team brought local talent to the fore, and in the last decade, five more players have joined Malofeev and Kondratyev on the list of Belarussian players who have scored more than 100 goals.

Famous five
FC Dynamo Kyiv playmaker Valentin Belkevich has 138 goals, FC Sokol Saratov's Piotr Kachura has 107, former FC Dinamo Brest striker Roman Vasilyuk, now at Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC, has scored 124, Siarhei Yaromka retired with 118 goals to his name while FC Naftan Novopolotsk forward Valeri Stripeikis has scored 153.

Stripeikis' ambition
At 30, Naftan player-coach Stripeikis still has four or five seasons of football left in him, and is keen to become the first Belarussian player to record 200 first-class goals. For those raised in Soviet times, such a thing would be a marvel.

Near misses
However, there is perhaps a sense of injustice that several names from the past never reached their century. Malofeev's old strike partner Mikhail Mustygin retired with 97 goals, 1980s Dinamo hero Igor Gurinovich got stuck on 95 while a more recent star, Siarhei Gerasimets, ended his career on 93.

Getting close
New centurions are coming thick and fast. At 28, FC Dinamo Moskva midfield player Maxim Romaschenko has plenty of time to improve on his 89 goals, while UC Sampdoria's Vitali Kutuzov, FC Inter Baku's Uladzimir Makouski, FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk's Viktar Barel and Naftan's Ihor Chumachenko are close to 100 goals.

Positive sign
A century of goals may have been harder to come by in Malofeev's day, but the new era has brought new heroes to the fore.