The President’s Cup of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) that 12 clubs have been competing for this year is leaving for Turkmenistan for the first time. The team of the Turkmennebit State Concern – Balkan FC from Balkanabat, who defeated 1:0 the champions of Pakistan KRL Football Club in Malaysia, won the third important continental club trophy.
Both finalists took first place in their groups on the way to the final. Balkan FC, who gained the decisive victories in Group A over the champions of Nepal, the semifinalists of the 2005 AFC President’s Cup Three Star Club 6:0 and the champions of Mongolia, the debutant the Asian club tournament Erchim FC 4:0. KRL Football Club from Pakistan defeated 1:0 Dordoi FC (Kyrgyzstan) and 2:0 Al Quds Hilal from Palestine in Group B.
“We respect Balkan FC who has been invincible throughout the tournament,” Head Coach of KRL Football Club Tariq Lutfi said at the pre-match press conference. “The Turkmen footballers are a well-balanced team who has scored more goals than ours during the tournament. But I hope for a good result for us.”
Head coach of Balkan FC Rahim Kurbanmamedov said that the chances of the finalists were 50 to 50, noting that “the team that will play better will win”. The two teams were determined to win. However, the contenders for the honorary Asian club trophy knew that any mistake could be fatal. That’s why the teams acted cautiously at the beginning of the game. As a result, the first half ended in goalless draw.
The game came to a head at the end of the second half. Attacking the opponents’ gates, the top scorer of the AFC President’s Cup final A. Gurbani scored the only goal in the 87th minute of the game which turned out to victorious for the Turkmen club.
It should be noted that Balkan FC defeated 3:2 Al Quds Hilal (Palestine), 2:0 Beoungket Rubber (Cambodia) and 5:0 Sri Lanka Army Sports Club (Sri Lanka) in the AFC President’s Cup qualifications in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh in May this year.
Balkan FC, who has participated in the three tournaments for the AFC President’s Cup in recent years, ranked among the six top teams but failed to qualify to the final in 2011. It has won the continental trophy this year!
Both finalists took first place in their groups on the way to the final. Balkan FC, who gained the decisive victories in Group A over the champions of Nepal, the semifinalists of the 2005 AFC President’s Cup Three Star Club 6:0 and the champions of Mongolia, the debutant the Asian club tournament Erchim FC 4:0. KRL Football Club from Pakistan defeated 1:0 Dordoi FC (Kyrgyzstan) and 2:0 Al Quds Hilal from Palestine in Group B.
“We respect Balkan FC who has been invincible throughout the tournament,” Head Coach of KRL Football Club Tariq Lutfi said at the pre-match press conference. “The Turkmen footballers are a well-balanced team who has scored more goals than ours during the tournament. But I hope for a good result for us.”
Head coach of Balkan FC Rahim Kurbanmamedov said that the chances of the finalists were 50 to 50, noting that “the team that will play better will win”. The two teams were determined to win. However, the contenders for the honorary Asian club trophy knew that any mistake could be fatal. That’s why the teams acted cautiously at the beginning of the game. As a result, the first half ended in goalless draw.
The game came to a head at the end of the second half. Attacking the opponents’ gates, the top scorer of the AFC President’s Cup final A. Gurbani scored the only goal in the 87th minute of the game which turned out to victorious for the Turkmen club.
It should be noted that Balkan FC defeated 3:2 Al Quds Hilal (Palestine), 2:0 Beoungket Rubber (Cambodia) and 5:0 Sri Lanka Army Sports Club (Sri Lanka) in the AFC President’s Cup qualifications in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh in May this year.
Balkan FC, who has participated in the three tournaments for the AFC President’s Cup in recent years, ranked among the six top teams but failed to qualify to the final in 2011. It has won the continental trophy this year!
