The match of the 18th round of the Turkmenistan Football Championship between the local "Nebitchi" and "Energetik" from Mary ended sensationally in Balkanabat.
FC "Energetik" has been performing extremely poorly this season. Before this match, the team had suffered 13 defeats in 15 games played, without a single victory, firmly occupying the last place in the country's championship. Therefore, few doubted before the game that the outsider would be able to put up a real fight away against the bronze medalist of last year's national championship. Moreover, the first meeting of these opponents in Mary ended with a 3:2 victory for "Nebitchi".
However, as events on the field of the "Sport Toplumy" stadium showed, the guests were resolutely determined for the game. Having scored a goal in the 40th minute thanks to the efforts of Abdyresul Abdyev, the players of Dovlet Bayramov kept their goal intact in the second half as well.
Having won their first victory in the Turkmenistan-2024 championship with a score of 1:0, "Energetik" with 5 points is still at the bottom of the standings. And "Nebitchi", having suffered their second defeat in a row, missed the chance to overtake "Ashgabat" and remained in 7th place with 15 points.
In the other three matches of the 18th round, as expected, the leaders won again. "Arkadag", reigning champion of Turkmenistan, was losing 0:1 in the match on their home field against "Shagadam" from Turkmenbashi during the course of the meeting – the score was opened in the 14th minute by Rovshen Begjanov. However, later Vladimir Bayramov's players scored three goals against the opponent and won a hard-fought victory – 3:1. The winners were marked by: Shanazar Tirkishov (20th minute), Abdy Byashimov (32nd) and Begench Akmamedov (88th).
The Ashgabat "Altyn Asyr" also won a hard-fought home victory over "Merv" – 5:2, initially losing 0:1 after an accurate shot in the 10th minute by Shazada Byashimov. However, then Yazguly Hojageldiev's players seized the initiative and scored five goals against the opponent. The winners had a brace from Arslan Saparov (23rd and 52nd minutes) and one each from Zafar Babajanov (30th), Selim Nurmyradov (44th – from a penalty) and Rovshengeldi Halmamedov (68th). Ali Haydarov scored the second goal for "Merv" in the 77th minute.
In another match of the round in Ashgabat at the "Nisa" stadium, the two-time participant of the AFC Champions League "Akhal" convincingly defeated "Kopetdag" – 4:0, taking revenge for the 2:3 defeat in the first round. In the team of the Main Department "Turkmennebitonumleri", Alibek Abdyrakhmanov scored a brace (44th and 45th minutes), while Elman Tagaev (12th) and Gurban Annaev (54th) each scored a goal.
Thus, based on the results of these matches, which completed the second round of the Turkmenistan Football Championship 2024, the leading trio looks as follows: in first place – "Arkadag" (48 points), in second – "Altyn Asyr" (37 points) and in third – "Akhal" (34 points).
After the 18th round, there was a break in the national football championship due to the preparation of the Turkmenistan national team for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against the teams of Uzbekistan on June 6 in Tashkent and Hong Kong on June 11 in Ashgabat.
