Football players from Balkanabat «Nebitchi» won bronze medals in the Turkmenistan Championship among major league clubs. This was determined based on the results of the 27th round of the national championship.
Before this round, «Nebitchi» and «Ahal», which was 5 points behind with two unplayed matches, claimed bronze medals.
«Nebitchi» in its final match hosted the outsider of the national championship in Balkanabat - Turkmenbashy «Shagadam», and «Ahal» played away against the vice-champion of the country from the capital «Altyn Asyr».
The Balkan derby took place with a slight advantage for the home team, who quickly opened the scoring. In the 7th minute, in the commotion, the ball from the foot of «Shagadam» player Yunus Orazmammedov flew into the net of his goal, and the «Nebitchi» players took the lead - 1:0.
Akmammet Metdayev consolidated the success of the Balkanabat team by scoring the second goal in the 55th minute after a multi-step combination.
The teams finished the game short-handed. First, in the 76th minute, match referee Akmyrat Gurbanov sent off Yunus Orazmammedov from the «Shagadam» team, and two minutes later he sent «Nebichti» football player Ashyrgeldi Saryyev to rest for two yellow cards.
Having won with a score of 2:0, «Nebitchi» became unattainable for its pursuer and won bronze medals at the national championship for the 7th time. The team from the administrative centre of the Balkan velayat was led to this success by head coach Hojaahmet Arazov, who is assisted in his work by Yagmyrmyrat Annamyradov and goalkeeper coach Rejepberdi Bagaberdiyev.
Previously, the four-time champion of Turkmenistan and eight-time silver medalist of the national championship «Nebitchi» received bronze medals in 1993, 1995, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008.
«Nebitchi» scored 43 points in 24 matches with a goal difference of 41-31. At the same time, 10 goals fell to the club’s best scorer this season, Mahtymberdi Berenov, who took 4th place among the scorers of the Turkmenistan 2023 championship. In total, during their performances in the national championships since 1992, «Nebitchi» players scored 1,631 goals. The author of the 1600th anniversary goal in the history of the club was the young midfielder Arslangylych Nazgylyjov. He scored it against Mary «Energetik» as part of the 9th round, which took place on the 27th of May, 2023 in Balkanabat.
In another parallel match of the 27th round, held at the «Sport Toplumy» stadium in the Buzmeyin etrap of Ashgabat, «Altyn Asyr» won against «Ahal» - 2:1. Rahman Myratberdiyev scored a double for the winners (53rd and 59th minutes), while for the losers Gurbanmuhammet Esenov scored a prestige goal (83rd). The team of the «Turkmenaragatnashyk» agency retained the victory, playing in the minority after Ruslan Tajiyev was sent off in the 56th minute.
«Altyn Asyr» completed its performance in the championship, having won silver medals for the second year in a row. Yazguly Hojageldiyev's team has 54 points with a goal difference of 57-26.
Let us remind you that the «Arkadag» team became the champion of Turkmenistan ahead of schedule. This club, formed in April 2023, representing the city of national importance of the same name, won gold medals at the national championship ahead of schedule, winning all 24 matches.
