Two matches of the 19th round took place in Ashgabat and Balkanabat, marking the start of the third round-robin stage of the Turkmenistan Football Championship among the top league clubs.
The first game concluded at the Nisa stadium in the capital, where the current champion "Arkadag" hosted Turkmenbashi's "Shagadam." Both teams prepared intensively for the second half of the national championship. "Arkadag" held a training camp in Romania, playing five friendly matches with local teams, winning four and losing one to "Concordia" 0-2.
Ahead of the championship resumption, "Arkadag" made some roster changes. Goalkeeper Rahat Japarov returned to "Ahal," replaced by Rustem Akhalyev from "Ahal."
"Shagadam" trained in Kartepe, Turkey, under new head coach -73-year-old Ali Gurbani, honored coach of Turkmenistan, who replaced Yevgeny Tkachenko, now an assistant. "Shagadam" also signed four new players during the summer transfer window. The team included three players from "Ashgabat": Shatlyk Gurbanov, Didar Tejenov and Hojanazar Gurbanov. Goalkeeper Mukhamet Ovezov, formerly played for Mary "Energetik," strengthened the position. Several reserve players were promoted to the main team.
"Shagadam" started the match promisingly, opening the score in the 23rd minute by Hydyrgeldi Atjanov. However, this result was short-lived. Eight minutes later, Didar Durdyev equalized with a penalty – 1:1. In the 45th minute, Altymyrat Annadurdyev scored the second goal, and the teams went into halftime with "Arkadag" leading 2:1.
In the second half, Vladimir Bayramov's team scored three more unanswered goals against "Shagadam," credited to Shanazar Tirkishov (60th minute), Arslanmyrat Amanov (66th) and Mirza Beknazarov (85th).
With a 5:1 victory, "Arkadag" gained the maximum 51 points in 17 games. "Altyn Asyr" and "Ahal," sharing second and third places, trail the leader by 14 points, although the vice-champion has played one less match. "Shagadam" is fourth with 24 points.
In another 19th-round match in Balkanabat, the national championship outsiders "Nebitchi" and "Kopetdag" met. For the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan's team, it was the first match under new head coach Begench Garaev, who replaced Tofik Shukurov, now leading "Ashgabat" from the third round-robin stage.
The match ended in a 1:1 draw. Jumamyrat Jumayev's 30th-minute goal was answered by Dowran Berdyev's 52nd-minute equalizer.
After this game, "Nebitchi" caught up with "Ashgabat" in 7th place with 16 points, while "Kopetdag" remains at the bottom with 13 points. Earlier, in the 19th round's opening match, "Ahal" defeated "Ashgabat" 3:0.
The final game of this round between "Altyn Asyr" and "Merv" will take place later due to the vice-champion's participation in the AFC Champions League-2 qualification.
Matches of the 20th round will be held on August 24. On this day, "Shagadam" will play "Ashgabat," "Merv" will face "Nebitchi," "Arkadag" will meet "Altyn Asyr," and "Kopetdag" will play "Ahal."
