The circle of contenders for the second most important football club trophy of Turkmenistan, the Cup of the country, has narrowed to four teams. The current owner of the Shagadam trophy from the city of Turkmenbashi, last year's finalist of the Cup of Turkmenistan "Ahal", the current eight-time champion of the country "Altyn Asyr" and "Ashgabat" will continue to fight for it. This was determined by the results of the return quarter-final matches.
"Shagadam" turned out to be stronger than Mary's "Energetik". The first quarterfinal match in Mary ended with a confident victory for the guests - 3:1. In return, the players from the seaside city on the Caspian also prevailed - 2:0. Goals scored: Kerim Khodjaberdyev (23rd minute) and Roman Galkin (58th).
In the 56th minute, Shagadam could increase the advantage to three goals after the defender of Energetik Mekan Charyev fouled in his penalty area on Roman Galkin, and the match referee Dzhumamurad Dzhumamuradov pointed to the 11-meter mark. Bayramgeldy Nurlyev scored a goal from the penalty spot, but did it in violation of the rules, as a result of which the goal was canceled.
The leader of the national championship "Akhal", who twice beat "Merv" with the same score 2:1, did not experience big problems in the quarterfinals either. In the second leg, which took place in Mary, the winners scored Meylis Diniev (37th minute) and Didar Durdyev (77th). For the losers, as in the first game, the prestige goal was scored by Alibek Abdurakhmanov (80th).
The path to the semi-finals was not difficult for the capital's "Altyn Asyr", which twice defeated the Balkanabat "Nebitchi": 4:0 - in Ashgabat and 3:0 - in Balkanabat. In the return game, Vezirgeldy Ilyasov opened the score in the 14th minute, and then Akhmed Ataev scored a double (56th and 60th).
Another semifinalist was determined in the capital derby between Kopetdag and Ashgabat. In the first game at home, the team of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan won - 3:2. And in the return "Ashgabat" took a convincing revenge - 4:0 and reached the semi-finals on the sum of two meetings. Pirmurad Sultanov (8th and 66th - from the penalty spot) scored a double for the "citizens" and Nuryagdy Mukhamedov (68th) and Shatlyk Kurbanov (86th) scored once.
Thus, in the semi-finals will play: "Ahal" - "Altyn Asyr" and "Ashgabat" - "Shagadam". The first legs will take place on October 26, the return legs on November 22.
The winner of the Cup of Turkmenistan-2022 will be known on December 11 in the final, which is timed to coincide with the 27th anniversary of the international recognition of the country's neutrality.
