The national football team of Turkmenistan will play a friendly match against the team of Kazakhstan on March 14 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Coaches of both teams consider the upcoming match as one of the stages of preparation for the qualifying games. The Turkmen football players are preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against the Iranian national team, which will be held on March 21 in Tehran and on March 26 in Ashgabat. The team of Kazakhstan, on the other hand, is preparing for the play-off match of the UEFA Euro 2024 against the national team of Greece, which will be held on March 21 in Athens.
According to the FIFA rankings, Turkmenistan is ranked 141st, while Kazakhstan is 100th.
The teams have previously met three times. Two matches ended in a draw, and one was won by the Kazakhstan national team.
The fourth meeting between the opponents will be held in a closed-door setting by mutual agreement.
As reported by the Football Federation of Turkmenistan, 24 players are preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against the national team of Iran during the training camp in the UAE. The roster includes:
Goalkeepers: Rasul Charyyev ("Arkadag"), Rustem Akhallyev ("Akhal"), Batyr Babaev ("Altyn Asyr").
Defenders: Guychmyrat Annagulyev, Abdy Byashimov, Ibrayim Mammedov (all from "Arkadag"), Ata Geldiyev, Khakmukhammet Byashimov (both from "Akhal"), Vepa Jumayev ("Vitebsk", Belarus), Rovshen Khalmammedov, Shokhrat Soyunov (both from "Altyn Asyr").
Midfielders: Arslanmyrat Amanov, Mirza Beknazarov, Shanazar Tirkishov (all from "Arkadag"), Teymur Charyyev ("Abdysh-Ata", Kyrgyzstan), Selim Nurmyradov ("Altyn Asyr"), Dovran Khojamammedov, Yazgylych Gurbanov, Meilis Diniev (all from "Akhal"), Ruslan Mingazov ("Kitchee", Hong Kong).
Forwards: Didar Durdyyev, Begmyrat Bayov, Altymyrat Annadurdyev (all from "Arkadag"), Alibek Abdyrakhmanov ("Akhal").
The national team of Turkmenistan is being prepared for the upcoming crucial matches by head coach Mergen Orazov. He is assisted by Mekan Mukhammetmyradov, Velsakhet Ovezov, Pavel Matus (goalkeepers coach), and Ildar Tashliev.
The training camp of our team in the UAE will last until March 19, after which the players will fly to Tehran for the match against the national team of Iran.
After two rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying tournament, the national team of Turkmenistan is currently in third place in Group E among four teams. It is worth noting that the Turkmen football players lost 1-3 to the Uzbekistan national team at home in the first game, and they drew 2-2 away against the team of Hong Kong in the second game.
