The 33rd edition of the Turkmenistan Football Cup started with three quarterfinal matches in Ashgabat and Balkanabat.
This year, the second most important club honorary trophy is being contested by 8 clubs of the top league. Three of them - «Altyn Asyr», «Ashgabat» and «Kopetdag» represent the capital. «Nebitchi» from Balkanabat and «Shagadam» from Turkmenbashy - Balkan velayat, «Merv» - Mary velayat, «Ahal» - Ahal velayat, and the current champion and winner of the Turkmenistan Cup, «Arkadag», is a city of the same name of national importance.
The first goal of the 2024 Turkmenistan Cup was scored at the «Sport Toplumy» stadium in the Buzmeyin etrap of Ashgabat, where the capital's «Altyn Asyr» hosted Mary's «Merv». The author of it in the 7th minute was the home team player Rovshen Halmamedov. In the 30th minute, he scored the second goal, becoming the first author of a double in the current tournament.
In the 63rd minute, Myrat Annayev increased the advantage of «Altyn Asyr» to three goals from a penalty. Another 10 minutes later, Abdyresul Abdyyev got one goal back. But «Merv» could not achieve more. In the remaining time, «Altyn Asyr» held on to the winning score of 3:1, making a strong bid to reach the semi-finals.
«Arkadag» also has a good chance of reaching the semi-finals, having beaten Turkmenbashy's «Shagadam» 3-0 in the first match at the capital's «Nisa» stadium. It is noteworthy that three days earlier these teams played at the same stadium as part of the national championship. And then Vladimir Bayramov's charges routed the team from the Caspian coast - 5-1. This time, «Arkadag» was content with a modest victory compared to the first game, which the nominal home team secured thanks to Shanazar Tirkishov (26th minute), Arslanmyrat Amanov (75th) and Altymyrat Annadurdyyev (90+2nd). In the third cup match in Balkanabat, in which «Nebitchi» and «Ashgabat» met, the winner was determined shortly before the final whistle.
In the first half, the opponents exchanged goals: the home team responded to Tirkishmyrat Sarymyradov's goal in the 29th minute with an accurate strike by Elyas Akyyev in the second minute of stoppage time. The score remained tied until the 85th minute, when Shyhberdi Baynazarov scored the winning goal for «Ashgabat», preserving his team's good chances of reaching the semi-finals before the return match.
In this way, Ashgabat won its first victory under the leadership of the new head coach Tofik Shukurov, who replaced Seyit Seyidov before the start of the second half of the national championship.
The fourth semi-finalist of the 2024 Turkmenistan Cup will be determined in the matches between «Ahal» and «Kopetdag».
Remind that the winners of the quarterfinal and semi-final stages will be determined based on the results of two matches.
The return games of the 1/4 finals will be held on the 8th to 9th of September.
