Footballers of «Merv» made it to the group stage of the AFC Cup, defeating the Tajik «Khujand» in the playoff match - 2:1.

The current bronze medalist of the championship of Turkmenistan «Merv» after 17 years makes 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).

In the current draw of the AFC Cup, the team from Mary velayat started from the preliminary round, in which, with a minimum score of 1:0, they won at home against the current three-time winner of the Super Cup and vice-champion of the Kyrgyz Republic «Alay» from the city of Osh.

The winner in the playoffs, as well as in the preliminary round of the AFC Cup, was determined by the results of one game, which took place at the stadium «20^th Anniversary of Independence of Tajikistan» in «Khujand» in the presence of 4,500 spectators.

The first half did not bring success to any of the teams. After the break, the guests took the lead – 1:0. In the 54^th minute, Mukam Nazzyyev tried to shoot from outside the penalty area, but slipped, and instead of hitting, he got a pass to «Merv» recruit Myrat Yagshyyev, who, having played ahead of the defender, sent the ball into the net.

FC «Khujand» defender Parviz Bokiyev, who came on as a substitute in the second half, equalized the score at the 79^th minute of the meeting with an accurate shot from an acute goalkeeper's corner - 1:1, which remained until the end of regular time. As a result, to determine the winner of the match, referee Yahya Ali Mohammad Hassan Al-Mulla from the United Arab Emirates had to appoint two extra halves of 15 minutes each.

At the 112^th minute, «Khujand» remained in the minority due to the removal of Firdavs Abdusalimov for two yellow cards. And after 2 minutes, «Merv», on the left side of the attack, got the right to a free kick, which turned out to be fatal for the bronze medalist of the Tajikistan-2022 championship. Mukam Nazzyyev with his left foot completed a perfect cross on Myrat Ovezmyradov, who came on as a substitute in the second half, and he, ahead of the goalkeeper, sent the ball into the goal with a header.

In the remaining time, the wards of Vitaliy Alikperov and Magtymguly Begenjov managed to keep the winning score 2:1, which allowed the football club from Mary to reach the group stage of the AFC Cup for the first time in its history. At this stage of the tournament, the rivals of «Merv» in the Central zone will be «Ravshan» (Tajikistan), «Altyn Asyr» (Turkmenistan) and «Abdysh-Ata» (Kyrgyzstan).

It is noteworthy that this is the second time when two Turkmen teams will compete for the second most important club trophy in Asia in the same group. Five years ago, this already happened in the history of the AFC Cup, when two clubs from Turkmenistan, «Altyn Asyr» and «Ahal», were in the same group D. And it is very significant that one of them - «Altyn Asyr» managed to reach the final of the tournament then!

How will it be this time? The group round of the 2023/24 AFC Cup in the Central Zone will begin on the 20^th of September and end on the 14^th of December. Only the winner of the group will advance to the next stage of the tournament.