The Turkmenistan U-20 national football team, led by head coach Didar Hajiyev, defeated the Iraqi team (2:1) in the opening match of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying tournament.

The game took place on Monday in Chonburi, Thailand.

“Ahal” midfielder Yakupmuhamed Govshudov opened the scoring in the 15th minute, converting a penalty. In the second half, in the 58th minute, Moamal Malik equalized the score. “Altyn Asyr” forward Veisgeldy Orazdurdyyev scored the winning goal in the 77th minute, giving his team three points.

Turkmenistan is playing in group F alongside Iraq, Thailand, and the UAE. The Turkmen team will play its next match on September 3 against tournament hosts Thailand, and on September 6 against the UAE.

In the qualifying stage of the tournament, 31 teams are divided into eight groups. The group winners, along with the seven best runners-up, will qualify for the finals.

The finals of the Asian Youth Cup will be held in Hangzhou, China, from March 24 to April 10, 2027.