The football team "Ahal" defeated "Merv" with a score of 1-0 in the rescheduled match of the 21st round of the Turkmenistan championship among the clubs of the top league. The game took place in Mary at the "Sport Toplumy" stadium.

Shohrat Soyunov, who scored an 11-meter penalty kick in the 37th minute, brought victory to the former champion of Turkmenistan.

For both teams, this was a kind of rehearsal before the second leg of the Turkmenistan Cup semi-finals, scheduled for December 21 in Ashgabat. The first semi-final game was held on September 27 in Mary and ended in a draw, 1-1. It is noteworthy that in that cup match, "Ahal" avoided defeat after Elman Tagayev scored a penalty in the 95th minute of added time. 

After the victory over "Merv", the team of the Main Department of "Turkmennebitonumleri" accumulated 35 points and reduced the gap to 2 points in the fight for the bronze medal, currently held by Balkanabat's "Nebitchi" in third place. Both clubs have two games left until the end of the championship: "Nebitchi" will play at home against Mary's "Energetik" and Turkmenbashi's "Shagadam", while "Ahal" will play away against "Shagadam" and "Altyn Asyr".