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Turkmenistan national team captain Elman Tagayev said his goal celebration in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying match against Chinese Taipei (3:1) was dedicated to his injured teammate Shanazar Tirkishov, who was sidelined for a long period.
"Before the game, I called the injured Shanazar Tirkishov, and I promised him that if I scored a goal, I'd point to number 14," Tagaev said at the post-match press conference.
In the 53rd minute of the match, the Turkmen team's captain scored a beautiful goal, giving Turkmenistan a 2-1 lead. Immediately after scoring, Tagayev and midfielder Teymur Charyev ran to the sideline and pointed to the number 14 on Charyev's back—the number worn by the injured Tirkishov.
This goal was Tagaev's third in the current 2027 Asian Cup qualifying tournament. The victory over Chinese Taipei allowed the Turkmenistan team to maintain its lead in group D with 12 points, ahead of Thailand on additional criteria.