The "Arkadag" footballers won their fifth victory in five matches at the Turkmenistan Football Federation Cup which ended in the Ahal velayat. In the final round, Vladimir Bayramov's team won 4:0 against "Ashgabat". Begench Akmamedov scored twice for the two-time champion of Turkmenistan (25th minute from a penalty and 35th), and Shanazar Tirkishov (29th) and Enver Annayev (90th) each scored once.
Earlier, "Arkadag" crushed Balkanabat's "Nebitchi" 4:1, won with a minimal difference of 3:2 against the vice-champion of Turkmenistan "Ahal", and won convincing victories over Turkmenbashi's "Shagadam" 6:2 and Mary's "Merv" - 3:0.
Having scored 15 points out of 15 possible, "Arkadag" is 5 points ahead of the second-placed team "Ahal", which tied 1:1 with Merv in the last round. It is noteworthy that both goals in this match were scored by "Ahal" players. Ibragim Amangeldyev opened the score in the 38th minute, and Alibek Abdurahmanov sent the ball into his own net in the 78th.
"Ahal" finished the game with a man down due to Ibragim Amangeldyev being sent off in injury time in the 95th minute for two yellow cards.
The draw allowed Merv to take their fifth point and move into third place.
The remaining three places – from 4th to 6th – were shared between "Shagadam", "Nebitchi" and "Ashgabat", who scored 4 points each. The teams were ranked in this order after "Shagadam" won the Balkan derby against "Nebitchi" – 1:0 thanks to a precise strike in the 8th minute by Bayram Atayev.
It is noteworthy that the team of the honored coach of Turkmenistan Ali Gurbani maintained this winning score, playing from the 12th minute with a man down due to the removal of Didar Tejenov for two yellow cards.
Let us recall that all games of the 2025 TFF Cup were held in the Babarap gengeshlik of the Gokdepe etrap.
For FC "Arkadag", this tournament allowed to test their level of readiness ahead of the quarterfinal matches of the AFC Challenge League against Indian "East Bengal" on March 5 and 12, and for other Turkmen teams it became one of the stages of preparation for the 2025 Turkmenistan Championship starting in the spring.
