The friendly match between the football teams "Arkadag" and St. Petersburg's "Zenit" at the training camp in the United Arab Emirates ended in a 1-1 draw. The game was held in closed mode in Abu Dhabi, where both clubs are preparing for the new season.

The Russian champions played with a non-optimal lineup as head coach Sergei Semak decided to test players who did not participate in the team's two previous training camps and lacked sufficient game practice in the Russian Premier League's autumn part.

However, "Zenit" opened the scoring with the French forward Wilson Isidor. "Arkadag" equalized after a precise free-kick by Altymyrat Annadurdyev, forward of the Turkmenistan national team.

The football club "Arkadag," forming the core of the Turkmenistan national team and representing the city of the same name of national importance, was established in April 2023 and prematurely secured the country's championship title and won the Cup in its debut year in the country's league.

In the upcoming season starting on March 4, "Arkadag" is preparing to defend their championship title. As part of their preparation, under the guidance of Vladimir Bayramov, they will play another friendly match on February 25 in the UAE against "Abdysh-Ata" from Kant, current two-time champion and holder of the Super Cup of Kyrgyzstan.

Previously, during the first training camp in Antalya, Turkey, "Arkadag" defeated the renowned North Macedonian club "Vardar" 1-0, then lost to the Ukrainian teams "Shakhtar" 1-4 and "Dnipro-1" 0-1. During the second training camp in Abu Dhabi, they achieved a determined victory over the Russian club "Pari NN" from Nizhny Novgorod with a score of 2-1.