The postponed match of the 20th round, which started the third round of the Turkmenistan Football Championship among the clubs of the top league, ended with the victory of «Arkadag» over «Ashgabat» 4:0.
This game was preceded by a two-week training camp of «Arkadag» in the Bulgarian city of Bansko, during which it lost to the Romanian team «Politehnica Iasi» in the first friendly match 1:2, and then played a 1:1 draw with the Macedonian club «Bashkimi» and won with a score of 1:0 against Kosovo's «Gilani».
As part of its preparation for the second half of the season, the current two-time champion of Turkmenistan has strengthened its squad with three players from the youth team of Turkmenistan - goalkeeper Seyran Ashyrov, midfielder Ibrayym Amangeldiyev and striker Gurbanmuhammet Esenov, who previously played for «Ahal».
The opening match of the third round, in which the nominal hosts were the «Arkadag» football players, took place at the capital's «Nisa» stadium. In the first half, «Ashgabat» tried to contain the attacks of the leader of the national championship, conceding only one goal. However, after the break, the advantage of the winner of the 2024/25 AFC Challenge League was embodied in three more goals. The hero of the meeting was striker Altymyrat Annadurdyyev, who scored three goals in the 18th, 47th and 62nd minutes. This is already the second hat-trick in the current championship for the 32-year-old forward of the national team of Turkmenistan. Another goal in this match was scored by Shamammet Hydyrov, who hit the goal of «Ashgabat» in the 77th minute of the match.
After this game, Altymyrat Annadurdyyev topped the list of scorers with 13 goals (1 from a penalty). His teammate Begench Akmamedov scored 12 goals (1 from a penalty). Third place with 11 goals (1 from a penalty) is occupied by another «Arkadag» player, the best scorer of the last two national championships, Didar Durdyyev.
Having won the 15th consecutive victory in the 2025 Turkmenistan Championship, «Arkadag» strengthened its lead with 45 points. «Ahal» is 17 points behind. «Altyn Asyr» is in third place with 25 points, ahead of Turkmenbashy’s «Shagadam», which has the same number of points, in additional indicators.
«Arkadag» will play its next match in the 15th round on the 7th of August at home against «Kopetdag» from «Ashgabat», and «Ashgabat» will play «Altyn Asyr» on its field the next day.
In the autumn of 2025, «Arkadag», as the winner of the AFC Challenge League, will take part in the group stage of the AFC Champions League-2. Its opponents in the group tournament will be determined during the draw, which will take place on the 15th of August.
turkmenistan.gov.tm
