Football club «Arkadag» defended its title as Turkmenistan champion. The team, representing the city of the same name, achieved this success ahead of schedule, five rounds before the end of the national championship, defeating «Ahal» 1-0 in the 23rd round match.
The game took place in Ashgabat at the «Nisa» stadium.
For most of the match, vice-champion of Turkmenistan held off the attacks of the visiting team. However, in the 68th minute, they conceded a goal that decided the match. The goal was scored by Didar Durdyyev, the top scorer of the last two national championships. He now has 21 goals (1 penalty), putting him comfortably ahead of the top scorers. Behind Durdyyev are his teammates: Begench Akmammedov with 17 (1 penalty), Altymyrat Annadurdyyev with 16 (1 penalty), and Shamammet Hydyrov with 9 (1 penalty).
Having scored 66 points in 22 games after this victory, the «Arkadag» footballers became unattainable for the rest of their opponents.
Football club «Arkadag», the core of the Turkmenistan national team, was founded in 2023 and already in its debut year achieved the double, winning the national championship and cup. Remarkably, since its founding, the team has not dropped a single point in official national championship matches. Last year, players of «Arkadag» completed the treble: in addition to their national championship gold medals, they also won the Turkmenistan Cup and Super Cup. Now, for the third year in a row, they have won the country's top trophy.
Vladimir Bayramov, a 45-year-old former striker for the Turkmenistan national team, winner of the 2003/04 Russian Cup with grozny’s «Terek» and the 2013 AFC Cup of President with «Balkan», led FC «Arkadag» to this success as head coach.
The contenders for the silver medals are «Altyn Asyr», which is in second place with 40 points after 22 matches, followed by Turkmenbashy’s «Shagadam» (39 points after 22 games) and «Ahal» (36 points after 20 matches).
«Shagadam» moved up to third place after snatching a 2-1 home victory in injury time against «Ashgabat». The hosts were trailing 1-0 after Pirmyrat Sultanov scored in the 33rd minute. However, thanks to second-half strikes from Mekan Ashyrov (46th minute) and Ionel Kosofana (90+8), the team coached by Honoured Coach of Turkmenistan Ali Gurbani was able to turn the game around and secure victory.
In another match of the round, which took place in Mary, Ashgabat's «Kopetdag» escaped defeat, snatching a 2-2 draw against «Merv» in injury time. Kemal Annamuhammedov (37th minute) and Mukam Nazziyev (73rd) scored for the home team, while Dayanch Meredov (70th minute) and Orazmuhammet Ishangulyyev (90+1) scored for the visitors. With one point each, the teams remained at the bottom of the standings: «Merv» with 12 points is in 7th place, and «Kopetdag» with 11 points is in 8th.
Another match of the 23rd round between the teams «Altyn Asyr» and «Nebitchi» was postponed to one of the reserve days due to the participation of the bronze medalist of the national championship in the group stage of the 2025/26 AFC Challenge League in Bhutan.
turkmenistan.gov.tm
