Today, the Turkmenistan national football team will play a decisive qualifying match for the Asian Cup-2027 against Thailand at the «Rajamangala» stadium in Bangkok. At stake is a ticket to the final stage of the main tournament of the four-year period, which will take place next year in Saudi Arabia.
The first match between these rivals in Ashgabat ended with a score of 3:1 in favour of the Turkmen footballers, who, after that victory with a difference of two goals, eight years later have an excellent chance to qualify for the Asian Cup for the third time. However, during the subsequent qualification round, team of Rovshen Meredov unexpectedly lost away for the first time to the significantly inferior FIFA-ranked Sri Lanka team – 0:1, thereby slightly complicating their task of reaching the final stage of the competition.
Before the final round, the Turkmenistan team leads Group «D» with 12 points, ahead of Thailand team on additional indicators. To take first place, which would give them the right to participate in the final tournament of the Asian Cup-2027, the Turkmen footballers only need to play a draw in Bangkok. Despite this, our team is focused on playing exclusively for victory. This was announced at a pre-match press conference by the head coach of the Turkmenistan national team, Rovshen Meredov, and the team captain, Elman Tagayev.
«We held a training camp in our country and prepared the team well for the match, which will be decisive», − said R. Meredov, thanking the hosts for the warm welcome in Thailand.
Elman Tagayev also confirmed the fighting spirit of the team.
«Our preparation went well and we are ready for tomorrow’s match. We won the first game 3-1, and we will focus on winning the return match, − the footballer emphasised.
For the decisive match against Thailand, Turkmenistan national team head coach Rovshen Meredov invited 22 players, leaving out the 34-year-old Ruslan Mingazov, captain of Hong Kong club «Kitchee», who was nominated for the best player of the team for March.
The full roster of our team for the match against Thailand is as follows:
goalkeepers – Resul Charyyev, Rustem Ahallyyev, Kakageldi Berdiyev;
defenders − Mekan Saparov, Abdy Bashimov, Ybrayym Mammedov, Yhlas Toyjanov, Guychmyrat Annagulyyev, Hakmuhammet Bashimov, Arzuvguly Sapargulyyev;
midfielders − Yazgylych Gurbanov, Rahman Myratberdiyev, Mirza Beknazarov, Velmyrat Ballakov, Elman Tagayev, Teymur Charyyev, Resul Hojayev;
forwards − Meylis Diniyev, Didar Durdyyev, Dayanch Meredov, Mihail Titov, Shamammet Hydyrov.
