The 32-year-old forward of “Arkadag”, Altymyrat Annadurdyyev, with 5 goals, was awarded the prize for the top scorer of the AFC Challenge League 2024/25. The corresponding award was presented to him after the final match, in which the Turkmen club representing the city of the same name won 2-1 against the four-time reigning champion of Cambodia, “Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng”, and won the continental trophy for the first time.
The fate of the match, held in Phnom Penh at the Morodok Techo National Stadium in front of 52,000 spectators, was decided in an additional 30 minutes after regular time ended in a 1-1 draw. In the 112th minute, Arzuvguly Sapargulyyev, with a long pass from the back of the field, set up Altymyrat Annadurdyyev, who, having escaped the defender, faced the goalkeeper one-on-one and accurately shot into the far corner. This goal turned out to be not only the winning goal but also the fifth scored by A. Annadurdyyev in the AFC Challenge League 2024/25.
“I could not start in the starting lineup because I am recovering from an injury, but I am very glad that I was able to contribute to the team’s success. We worked hard, played a very good game, and were rewarded for it,” shared A. Annadurdyyev after the final.
Altymyrat Annadurdyyev began his sports career in 2014 in the futsal team Galkan, where in the same year he became the champion of Turkmenistan and the top scorer with 10 goals. In 2015, he moved to professional football, signing a contract with “Ahal”. Altymyrat made his debut for the new club in the 2015 AFC Cup against “Dordoi” Bishkek, scoring from a free kick already in the 9th minute. In his very first game of the Turkmenistan championship, he scored four goals against Mary’s “Energetik”. Since 2016, A. Annadurdyyev has played for Ashgabat’s “Altyn Asyr”, where his goal against Tajikistan’s “Istiklol” was among the top three in the 2019 AFC Cup. In 2024, he joined “Arkadag”.
Another Arkadag player, 28-year-old midfielder Shanazar Tirkishov, received the MVP (most valuable player) award of the AFC Challenge League 2024/25 at the award ceremony.
Shanazar Tirkishov’s role was not only in creating but also in scoring goals. It is enough to recall the semifinal return match against Kuwait’s “Al-Arabi” (3:0), in which thanks to his double, “Arkadag” won 3:2 on aggregate and reached the final of the AFC Challenge League 2024/25.
In the final game, Shanazar also made a significant contribution to the team’s success. In the 59th minute, he earned a corner kick, after which “Arkadag” scored the first goal.
The AFC Challenge League is the third strongest club tournament in Asia. The tournament is new but can be called a revived version of the AFC President’s Cup, which was held from 2005 to 2014.
By winning the AFC Challenge League 2024/25, “Arkadag” became the third Turkmen club to win a continental trophy after Balkan’s victory in 2013 and ITTU’s in 2014 in the AFC President’s Cup. The team was led as head coach by 44-year-old Vladimir Bayramov, a well-known former striker of the Turkmenistan national team and winner of the 2003/04 Russian Cup with Grozny’s Terek. Notably, in 2013, he won the AFC President’s Cup as a player with Balkan. And now, as head coach, he has won a new Asian trophy.
