The Turkmenistan youth team (under 23) began their performance at the 2026 Asian Cup qualifying tournament in Group «A», which started in the capital of Jordan, with a major victory over the Chinese Taipei team – 5:1.
The hero of the match, which was watched by only 30 spectators at the Amman International Stadium, was forward of Ashgabat’s «Kopetdag» Dayanch Meredov. He scored a hat-trick (19th, 43rd and 48th minutes). Another goal was scored by the capital's «Altyn Asyr» players Sohbet Durdyyev (32nd) and Abdyrahman Annamyradov (90+2). Wei Chi-Chuan (40th) scored one goal back from the opponent.
This was the second official game between Turkmenistan and Chinese Taipei at the youth team level. Two years ago, at the U23 Asian Cup qualifying tournament, which took place in the Indonesian city of Surakarta, the Turkmen team also won a major victory with a score of 4:0.
The second face-to-face match between the opponents was held with a noticeable advantage of the Turkmen footballers. From the first minutes, Ahmed Agamyradov's charges seized the initiative and increasingly began to visit the opponent's half of the field. In one of the attacks in the 19th minute, goalkeeper Kakageldi Berdiyev with a long pass put one-on-one with goalkeeper Dayanch Meredov, and he opened the scoring with an accurate shot.
13 minutes later, Sohbet Durdyyev, having received a pass from Arslan Saparov from the right side in the centre of the penalty area, turned with the ball and made an unstoppable shot with his left foot - 2:0.
In the 40th minute, Wei Chi-Chuan with a magnificent strike from outside the penalty area reduced the gap to a minimum - 2:1 and, it seemed, returned the intrigue to the match. But it was not to be. Three minutes later, Dayanch Meredov, near the goal area, closed the pass from the left by Magtymberdi Berenov with a touch and restored the gap in the score to two goals. With the score 3:1 in favour of the Turkmen team, the teams went to the break.
At the beginning of the second half, Dayanch Meredov, as in the case of the first goal, again ran away from the defender and with an accurate shot into the lower left corner of the goal increased the advantage of the Turkmen team to 4:1. And Abdyrahman Annamyradov set the final score in the match in stoppage time, heading the ball into the goal from a corner from the right side.
In another match of Group «A», the youth team of Jordan crushed the team of Bhutan - 11:0 (4:0) and together with Turkmenistan took the lead with 3 points.
In the next round they play: Turkmenistan - Bhutan, Jordan - Chinese Taipei.
Let us remind that 44 teams, divided into 11 qualifying groups, are participating in the 2026 Asian Youth Cup qualification. The group winners, as well as the four best teams among those who took second place, will receive tickets to the final part of the Asian Cup, which will be held from January 7 to 25, 2026, for the first time in Saudi Arabia.
Results of the 1st round in other groups:
Group «B» (matches are held in Myanmar): Kuwait - Myanmar 0:0, Japan - Afghanistan - 3:0.
Group «C» (matches are held in Vietnam): Yemen - Singapore - 2:1, Vietnam - Bangladesh - 2:0.
Group «D» (matches are held in China): Australia - Northern Mariana Islands - 14:0, China - East Timor - 2:1.
Group «E» (matches are held in Kyrgyzstan): Uzbekistan - Sri Lanka - 4:0, Palestine - Kyrgyzstan - 1:2.
Group «F» (matches are held in Thailand): Malaysia - Lebanon - 0:1, Thailand - Mongolia - 6:0.
Group «G» (matches are held in Cambodia): Iraq - Pakistan - 8:1, Cambodia - Oman - 0:0.
Group «H» (matches are being held in Qatar): Bahrain – India – 0:2, Qatar – Brunei – 13:0.
