The Turkmenistan national football team will start today in the 2026 Asian Cup U23 qualifying tournament with a match against Chinese Taipei. The game will be held in Amman, where representatives of Bhutan and Jordan will also compete for a place in the final part of the competition.
44 teams are participating in the 2026 Asian Cup U23 qualifying tournament, divided, according to the draw, into 11 qualifying groups.
Two teams will make their debut in the current U23 Asian Cup, which is being held for the 7th time. These are the Northern Mariana Islands national team, whose Football Federation is not a member of FIFA, and the youth team of Bhutan, whose Football Federation is a member of FIFA.
The Turkmen footballers and their opponents formed Group «A».
The group winners and the four best second-placed teams will qualify for the Asian Cup finals, which will be held from 7th to 25th of January, 2026, for the first time in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabian youth team, as the host, qualified directly for the final stage of the tournament.
Head coach of the Turkmenistan youth team, Ahmet Agamyradov, has nominated 23 players from 7 football clubs in the country to participate in the 2026 Asian Cup qualifying tournament.
Turkmenistan U-23 team roster:
Goalkeepers: Seyran Ashyrov («Arkadag»), Vepa Mammayev («Ahal»), Kakageldi Berdiyev («Ahal»).
Defenders: Ylyas Charyyev («Arkadag»), Palvan Annayev («Arkadag»), Galabeg Jumamyradov («Kopetdag»), Tirkishmyrat Sarymyradov («Ashgabat»), Beglimuhammet Bekmyradov («Ahal»), Nurulla Rayimbayev («Ashgabat»).
Midfielders: Nurtagan Saryyev («Ahal»), Arslan Saparov («Kopetdag»), Ali Haydarov («Altyn Asyr»), Ybrayym Amangeldiyev («Arkadag»), Begench Mamiyev («Ahal»), Magtymberdi Berenov («Ahal»), Azizbek Bekchanov («Shagadam»), Abdyrahman Annamyradov («Altyn Asyr»).
Forwards: Gurbanmuhammet Esenov («Arkadag»), Enver Annayev («Ahal»), Dayanch Meredov («Kopetdag»), Abdyresul Abdyyev («Merv»), Shohrat Ovmadov («Merv»), Sohbet Durdyyev («Altyn Asyr»).
The day before, at a pre-match meeting of the qualification participants, it was decided that the youth team of Turkmenistan would wear a white uniform for the game with the Chinese Taipei team, while the opponent would wear a blue uniform. In the remaining matches of the group stage, our youth team will play in a green uniform.
Two years ago, at the qualifying tournament of the Asian Cup U23, which was held in the Indonesian city of Surakarta, the youth teams of Turkmenistan and Chinese Taipei already met each other. And then the Turkmen footballers won a big victory with a score of 4:0.
And even earlier in 2022, the youth team under the leadership of Ahmet Agamyradov achieved historic success - for the first time they made it to the final stage of the tournament held in Tashkent, where they reached the quarterfinals. Let us recall that the winner of the previous Asian Cup 2024 was the Japanese team, which in the final of the tournament held in Qatar beat the team from Uzbekistan – 1:0.
turkmenistan.gov.tm
