For the first time in history, the futsal players of the national team of Turkmenistan won against the team of Kyrgyzstan at the qualifying tournament of the Asian Cup that started in Bishkek. The meeting was held at the site of the Gazprom sports complex and ended with a score of 3:1.

For many years, the national team of Kyrgyzstan was considered an uncomfortable opponent for the Turkmen futsal players. Suffice it to say that in the entire history of the meetings of these teams, only in two fights was a draw recorded: 2:2 - in 2009 in the qualifying tournament of the Asian Cup 2010 in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) and 1:1 - in 2015 in the qualifying match of the Asian Cup -2016 in Khujand (Tajikistan). In other matches, the Kyrgyzstanis took up and often blocked the way for the Turkmenistan team to the final part of the competition.

At the pre-game setting, the head coach of our team, Guvanch Kanaev, set up his wards as for the main match in their lives. Yes, the futsal players themselves understood this very well. Indeed, in Group A, where Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, the Maldives and Iran were drawn by lot, the main favorites in the fight for two tickets to the final stage of the competition are, and not without reason, 12-time champions of Asia, the Iranians. In the first round, they defeated the Maldives team - 17:0 and confidently topped the standings with 3 points.

The match between the national teams of Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan began with attacks by the home team, who were strongly supported by an army of thousands of fans. Only a handful of people were rooting for the Turkmen futsal players on the podium, who throughout the game were unanimously waving the flags of Turkmenistan, trying to give confidence to our players.

In the first 20 minutes of the game, the national team of Turkmenistan withstood the powerful onslaught of the opponent, and the teams went to the break with the score 0:0.

In the second half, the wards of Guvanch Kanaev seized the initiative, and in the 27th minute Allamurad Kurbanov led the Turkmen team forward - 1:0. A minute later, the captain of our team Dayanch Karadzhaev increased the advantage to two goals.

In the 31st minute, Shokhrukh Makhmadaminov reduced the score gap to a minimum - 1:2. In the time remaining until the end of the match, the Kyrgyzstanis launched a flurry of attacks on the gates of the Turkmen team, but goalkeeper Meretgeldy Bayramov, who played excellently that evening, could not score.

At the last minute, hoping to recoup the site's owners went for broke, releasing the fifth field player instead of the goalkeeper. And they paid for it. 45 seconds before the end of playing time, the goalkeeper of our team successfully caught the ball and, without thinking twice, sent it into the opponent's empty net, thus putting a winning point in the match.

After the game, the head coach of the Kyrgyz futsal team, Kazakh specialist Amirzhan Mukanov noted the excellent game of our goalkeeper.

“From the very beginning, the ball didn’t go, I don’t remember when we landed so many shots in such games. A lot of chances were created, we hit the post, in many ways we were unlucky today. Well, the goalkeeper of the national team of Turkmenistan played well. We created a lot of chances, the final attack and realization were not enough. We will analyze our game,” A. Mukanov said.

The coach of the national team of Kyrgyzstan also admitted that his team, after the defeat from Turkmenistan, found itself in a difficult situation.

“We are in a difficult situation, because the game with Iran is ahead. But the match with the outsider of the group - with the national team of the Maldives - will not be easy, because today they gave a lot of strength,” A. Mukanov emphasized.

After the game with a historic victory, Shadurdy Meredov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to the Kyrgyz Republic, who was present at the match, congratulated our team. wishing compatriots success in future meetings.

The head coach of the national team of Turkmenistan Guvanch Kanaev thanked the guys for the game in the locker room. He noted that "the first step towards the Asian Championship has been taken" and asked his wards not to relax in further fights.

The defender of our team Shiri Bayramdurdyev shared his emotions from the victorious match with the GA correspondent:

“Beating an opponent that was uncomfortable for us, who played at home with strong support from the fans, is an indescribable feeling,” he said.

In the next round, the national team of Turkmenistan will face the team of Iran. In another duel they will meet: Maldives - Kyrgyzstan.

In group "B", the matches of which are also held in Bishkek, two rounds have already taken place: Tajikistan - Afghanistan - 4:4, Uzbekistan - Nepal - 5:1, Nepal - Tajikistan - 1:11, Afghanistan - Uzbekistan - 1:5. Thus, having scored 6 points, the national team of Uzbekistan secured the right to play in the final tournament of the Asian Cup-2022 a round before the end of the qualification. The fate of the second ticket in this group, which is claimed by Tajikistan (4 points) and Afghanistan (1 point), will be decided on the final game day in the duels: Uzbekistan - Tajikistan, Afghanistan - Nepal.

The final tournament of the Asian Cup-2022, in which 16 strongest futsal national teams of the confederation will perform, will be held from September 25 to October 20 in Kuwait.