The 30th anniversary football championship of Turkmenistan started with four matches in Ashgabat and Turkmenbashi.
The medals of the national championship are contested by 8 teams, which, unlike last year, will play each other in four rounds. Three clubs - "Altyn Asyr", "Ashgabat" and "Kopetdag" represent the capital. "Balkan" from Balkanabat and "Shagadam" from Turkmenbashi - Balkan velayat, "Merv" and "Energetik" - Mary velayat and "Ahal" - Akhal velayat.
According to the results of the championship, which will finish on 20th december, the best team of Turkmenistan will get the right to play in the group stage of the AFC Champions League in 2023, and the winner of the Cup of Turkmenistan-2022 and the silver medalist of the national championship - in the second most important Asian club tournament - the AFC Cup-2023. If the same team becomes the champion and the owner of the Cup of Turkmenistan, then the bronze medalist of the national championship will receive the bronze medalist of the national championship in addition to the vice-champion to represent Turkmenistan in the AFC Cup-2023.
The matches of the opening round of the championship of Turkmenistan were held in an uncompromising struggle: not a single draw was recorded in all four meetings.
The first goal of the 2022 championship was scored at the Nisa stadium in the capital, where the vice-champion Ahal hosted Nebitchi from Balkanabat. In the 14th minute of the game, the captain of Ahal and the best scorer of last year's championship Elman Tagaev became the author of it, skillfully spinning the ball from the right corner of the penalty area into the far corner of the goal with his left foot. After 8 minutes, Arslanmurad Amanov doubled the result.
After the break, the success of "Ahal" was developed by A. Amanov, having scored a double from the penalty spot in the 56th minute. Another double in this match was chalked up by Didar Durdyev, scoring two goals in the 77th and 85th minutes from the penalty spot. Dovran Khodjamamedov (78th) and Meilis Diniev (90+1) scored once more against the home team.
Thus, having won a convincing victory with a score of 7:0, "Ahal" recorded the first 3 points as an asset.
But the current champion of Turkmenistan "Altyn Asyr", unlike its main competitor, modestly defeated the Mary "Energetik" in the starting round in the Buzmeyinsky etrap of the capital - 1:0. The victory for the team of the agency "Turkmenaragatnashyk" was brought by Murad Annaev in the 65th minute.
Dramatically with the same score for the home team ended another match in Ashgabat, where "Kopetdag" hosted the Mary "Merv". At the 59th minute, the team of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan could take the lead, gaining the right to a penalty. However, Begench Akmamedov could not beat the goalkeeper from the 11-meter mark. And in the 75th minute, taking advantage of a mistake in the defense, Orazberdy Muradov, in a hustle at the gate, ferried the ball into the Kopetdag net, bringing Merv a difficult away victory - 1:0. The hosts finished the match in the minority due to the removal in stoppage time at 90+5 minutes by Shazady Byashimov.
The game in Turkmenbashi between "Shagadam" and "Ashgabat", which brought together about 850 spectators in the stands of the local stadium, aroused great interest among the fans in the first round. The hosts already in the 4th minute took the lead after an accurate blow from the penalty Kerim Khodjaberdiyev into the bottom corner of the goal. In the 13th minute, Bayramgeldy Nurliev increased Primorye's lead to two goals with a brilliant long-range shot. After the break in the 67th minute, Shatlyk Kurbanov scored one goal. In the time remaining until the final whistle, Ashgabat spent in continuous attacks, but could not escape defeat.
Thus, after the first round, "Akhal", "Shagadam", "Altyn Asyr" and "Merv" took the lead with 3 points.
In the second round of great interest is the meeting of the main contenders for the championship - "Altyn Asyr" and "Ahala". The game between these teams, which without exaggeration can be called the Turkmen derby, will be held on August 7 in the Buzmeyinsky etrap of the capital at the Sports Toplumy stadium. In other matches, Ashgabat - Kopetdag, Energetik - Merv and Nebitchi - Shagadam will meet.
