Football players of Arkadag made their debut in the championship of Turkmenistan among clubs of the highest league with a victory, beating Mary Merv in the home match of the 2nd round - 2:1.
The football club "Arkadag", representing the city of the same name of state significance, which is being built 30 kilometers from the Turkmen capital, was created shortly before the start of the national championship on the basis of experienced players representing the main bones of the national team of Turkmenistan. His application includes 27 players from six clubs in the country.
The first official match of "Arkadag", which was led by 42-year-old well-known former football player of the national team of Turkmenistan Guvanchmukhamed Ovekov, was held at the Nisa stadium in the capital.
Nominal home team opened the scoring already in the 6th minute. The author of the first goal of the newly formed team was the 29-year-old top scorer of the championship of Turkmenistan-2022 Didar Durdyev. He opened in time to serve from the right flank and from the goalkeeper's line hit the guests with a header.
Four minutes later the score rose to 2:0. This time Arkadag's captain Arslanmurad Amanov excelled, masterfully punching in opposition to the goalkeeper after a pass from the right side of the attack.
Having quickly achieved a comfortable success, the Arkadag players continued to attack and could hit the opponent's goal more than once before the break. So, in one episode, Didar Durdyev, closing the cross from the right flank, managed to shoot above the goal from 3 meters, and in two more cases, the same Didar and Arslanmurad Amanov hit the ball on the crossbar.
It seemed that the bronze medalist of last year's championship could not avoid a devastating defeat. But it was not there.
As soon as the second half began, in the 49th minute, Merv's top scorer for the past season, Alibek Abdurakhmanov, ran one on one with the goalkeeper and scored one goal. A little later, he again went to a rendezvous with the goalkeeper, but this time he could not beat Rasul Charyev.
As a result, "Arkadag" brought the match to victory and earned the first 3 points. In the next round, this team will play with Kopetdag, which in the 2nd round won away from Mary "Energetik" - 2:0 and topped the standings with 6 points.
The team of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan took the lead already in the 3rd minute after Ovezbai Mukhamedberdyev, having received the ball after a serve from the right flank, accurately shot from 14 meters into the center of the goal. Murad Amantaganov set the final result in the match, sending the ball into the near corner of the goal with an excellent free-kick through the wall in the 89th minute.
Nebitchi won the first victory in the championship of Turkmenistan-2023, beating Shagadam from the city of Turkmenbashi in the Balkan derby in Balkanabat - 2:1. The winners scored Dayanch Orazkuliev (38th minute from the penalty spot) and Dovran Berdyev (58th), while the losers scored Salim Umarov (69th).
After this victory, "Nebitchi" moved up to the second line of the standings with 4 points.
"Arkadag", "Akhal" and "Ashgabat" who played one game each have 3 points.
The 2nd round of the 2023 Turkmenistan Football Championship will end on April 19 with a match between the current champion Ahal and the silver medalist of last year's championship Altyn Asyr.
