Footballers of «Arkadag» started confidently in the Cup of Turkmenistan, crushing the Mary «Energetik» in the first match of the preliminary stage - 4:0.

This game, which took place at the «Nisa» stadium in the capital, kicked off the 32nd edition of the second most important national club trophy. Nine teams are fighting for it this year. Three of them - «Altyn Asyr», «Ashgabat» and «Kopetdag» represent the capital. «Nebitchi» from Balkanabat and «Shagadam» from Turkmenbashy - Balkan velayat, «Merv» and «Energetik» - Mary velayat, «Ahal» - Ahal velayat, and the debutant of the tournament «Arkadag» is the city of the same name of state importance.

The opening match of the Cup of Turkmenistan was held with a noticeable advantage of «Arkadag», which, however, managed to translate its playing superiority into goals only towards the end of the first half. At the 39th minute, a throw into the «Energetik» penalty area for Didar Durdyyev followed, and he sent the ball into the goal net from the line with the goalkeeper's head. Six minutes later, Guychmyrat Annagulyyev, being four meters from the goal, doubled the result with a bicicleta, and the teams went to the break with the score 2:0.

In the second half, «Arkadag» players scored two more goals into the opponent's goal. First, in the 70th minute, Shanazar Tirkishov converted a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and 2 minutes before the end of regular time, Begmyrat Bayov set the final score 4-0 with a header.

Having won a big victory, «Arkadag» made a weighty bid to reach the quarterfinals before the return game in Mary on the 2nd of May. The winner of this pair will play with «Kopetdag» in the 1/4 finals.

In other quarterfinal matches, «Merv» - «Ashgabat», «Ahal» - «Shagadam» and «Altyn Asyr» - «Nebitchi» will meet.

The matches of the 1/4 finals of the Cup of Turkmenistan-2023 will be held on the 9th and 20th of May. The semi-final games will be held on the 27th of May and 2nd of June. The date and venue of the final match will be announced later.

Remind that the current owner of the Cup of Turkmenistan is «Ahal», who won last year's finals Turkmenbashy «Shagadam» - 5:0.