With the «Alay» of Osh from Kyrgyzstan, the «Merv» of Mary will play in the preliminary round of the second most important Asian club tournament - the AFC Cup-2023/24. The game will take place on the 15th of August in Turkmenistan, the Asian Football Confederation reported.
«Alay» is one of the oldest and titled football clubs in the Kyrgyz Republic: 4-time champion (2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017), two-time Cup winner (2013, 2020), current three-time Super Cup winner (2017, 2018, 2023) and silver medalist of the national championship (2022).
Prior to this, «Alay» played four times in the AFC Cup: in 2016 - at the play-off stage of the preliminary round and in 2014, 2017 and 2018 - in the group round of the competition. And he never left the group.
The current bronze medalist of the championship of Turkmenistan «Merv» after 17 years will make a second attempt to compete for the second most important Asian club trophy. In 2006, he failed to overcome the barrier of the group stage, playing in the same group with the teams of SC «Dempo» (India) and «Al-Nasr» (Oman).
It is also noteworthy that the paths of «Merv» and «Alay» already once crossed 29 years ago in the framework of the Asian Cup Winners' Cup, which no longer exists. Then in 1994, as part of the qualifying round in Jambul, in which five teams from Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan («Ravshan»), Uzbekistan («Pahtakor») and Kazakhstan («Taraz») fought for the only ticket to the next stage of the competition, the players of «Merv» beat «Alay» - 3:1.
The winner of the match «Merv» - «Alay» will meet on the 22nd of August away with the bronze medalist of the championship of Tajikistan «Hujand» at the playoff stage of the AFC Cup-2023/24.
The AFC Cup preliminary round and play-off matches will consist of one game.
In case of success at the preliminary stage and in the playoffs of the AFC Cup, the football club «Merv» will have the right to play in the group stage of the tournament in the Central zone, along with the teams «Altyn Asyr» (Turkmenistan), «Ravshan» (Tajikistan) and «Abdysh- Ata» (Kyrgyzstan).
The group round of the 2023/24 AFC Cup in the Central Zone will begin on the 20th of September and end on the 14th of December. Only the winner of the group will advance to the next stage of the tournament.
