Three matches in Ashgabat and Mary finished the first round of the 2023 Turkmenistan Football Championship among major league clubs.

The game ended first in the administrative centre of the Mary velayat, where the bronze medalist of last year's championship «Merv» hosted «Ashgabat». The match was held in a tense struggle, as evidenced by the 7 yellow cards shown to the players by the referee Babanazar Haknazarov. Of these, three «yellow» cards were given to the home team and four to the away team players.

The fate of the meeting was decided by the only goal, which was scored in the 49^th minute from the penalty spot by the 33-year-old defender of «Ashgabat» Sohbet Allanurov. It is noteworthy that a year ago this footballer played for «Merv» and, as part of this club, scored the winning goal against «Ashgabat» in the away match of the 10^th round of last year's national championship. And now Sohbet hit the gates of his former team, bringing «Ashgabat» the first victory in the 2023 championship that started.

The current champion of Turkmenistan «Ahal» also started with a victory in the new season, beating the Mary «Energetik» at the capital's «Nisa» stadium - 1:0. The victory for the team of the Main Department «Turkmennebitonumleri» was brought in the 80^th minute of the game by Muhammet Esenov's accurate shot.

In this way, after the first round, the leadership with 3 points is shared by «Kopetdag», «Ahal» and «Ashgabat». The «Arkadag» team will play its first match on the 18^th of April in Ashgabat against «Merv». On the same day, within the framework of the 2^nd round, «Nebitchi» - «Shagadam» and «Energetik» - «Kopetdag» will also play.