Turkmenistan national football team players drew 1-1 with Kyrgyzstan team at the inaugural Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup.
The second-ever CAFA Nations Cup tournament is being held in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, featuring eight teams divided into two groups in the first stage.
Turkmenistan, together with Kyrgyzstan, Oman, and Uzbekistan, form Group "A," with matches taking place in Tashkent. Group "B," consisting of Afghanistan, India, Iran, and Tajikistan national teams, play at the Central Stadium in Hisor, located 12 kilometers west of Dushanbe.
According to the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 regulations, the group winners will compete in the final for the main prize, while the second-placed teams in the groups will play each other to determine the bronze medalist of the tournament.
Before the CAFA Nations Cup 2025, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan national teams met four times. In three matches Turkmenistan emerged victorious (4-0 in 1992, 5-1 in 1994, 1-0 in 2010), and only once did Kyrgyzstan win—in a friendly in 2016, with a 1-0 score.
The fifth head-to-head match, held at the "Jar" stadium, started cautiously and at a slow pace. The first truly dangerous moment came in the 35th minute when Kyrgyzstan striker Joel Kojo hit the crossbar. Three minutes later, Kayrat Zhyrgalbek Uulu, the best Kyrgyz player of 2018 and 2023, could have opened the scoring, but his shot was parried by goalkeeper Resul Charyev.
However, before halftime, both teams scored. First, in the 44th minute, Wepa Jumayev scored with a header following a corner kick. Notably, this goal was the debut goal for the defender of the Belarusian club Vitebsk in the Turkmenistan national team. A minute later, Joel Kojo equalized by lobbing the goalkeeper from the penalty area line. The ball, after his cross, hit the crossbar and went over the goal line.
In the second half, Turkmenistan had two excellent chances to take the lead. In the 62nd minute, Didar Durdyyev tried to score with a backheel from close range after a right-side pass, but the goalkeeper reacted in time. In the 77th minute, after a free-kick, Rowshen Meredov’s wards attacked twice more. The goalkeeper saved a header by Abdy Bashimov in the first attempt, and in the second, Guychmyrat Annagulyyev's close-range shot hit a defender standing on the goal line.
With the draw, both Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan earned one point each. The same number of points was recorded in Group "A" by Uzbekistan and India, who also played a 1-1 draw. After India’s early goal by Nasser Al Ravahi in the 4th minute, Uzbekistan equalized through Khojimat Erkinov’s accurate strike in the 55th minute.
In Group "B," after the first round, Iran and India lead the standings with 3 points each.
Iran won their opening match against Afghanistan 3-1. The goals for Iran were scored by Majid Aliyari (26th minute), Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh (36th), and Majid Aliyari (64th). Afghanistan's honor goal was scored by Omid Musavi (21st).
Indian players defeated one of the tournament hosts, Tajikistan, 2-1. Goals for India came from Anwar Ali (5th minute) and Sandesh Jhingan (13th). Tajikistan's Shahrom Samiev reduced the deficit in the 23rd minute. In the second half, Tajikistan had a chance to avoid defeat by earning a penalty, but Rustam Soirov missed the spot-kick in the 73rd minute, shooting directly at the goalkeeper.
In the second round of Group "A" on September 2, Oman will play Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan will face Uzbekistan. In Group "B," on September 1, India will meet Iran, and Afghanistan will play Tajikistan.
For the Turkmenistan footballers, the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 is viewed as part of their preparation for the autumn Asian Cup 2027 qualification matches against Sri Lanka (on October 9 and November 14) and Chinese Taipei (on November 18).
turkmenistan.gov.tm
01.09.2025
