In friendly matches against Indonesia (0:2) and Bahrain (1:1), head coach of the Turkmenistan national team Mergen Orazov gave young players a chance to prove themselves and tested the team’s immediate reserves.
In the match with Indonesia, two Ahal football players made their debut - midfielder Alibek Abdyrahmanov and striker Yazgylych Gurbanov. Both players came on as substitutes in the second half.
In the game against Bahrain, Energetika-BGU defender Vepa Jumaev appeared on the field from the first minutes. For him, this match also became his debut in the Turkmenistan national team. 22-year-old Jumaev is one of the leaders of “Energetika-BGU” in the Belarusian championship. In 17 matches he scored one goal.
Turkmenistan was included in Group “E” of the 2026 World Cup qualifying round. His opponents will be the national teams of Iran, Uzbekistan and the winner of the Hong Kong – Bhutan match.
Turkmenistan will play the first match of the qualifying tournament on November 16 in Ashgabat against Uzbekistan.
