National Leader of the Turkmen People and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (People's Council), Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, stated that the upcoming match between “Arkadag” football club and Saudi Arabia's “Al-Nasr” will be a celebration for the country, regardless of the outcome, the State News Agency of Turkmenistan reported.

"A victory for the “Arkadag” team, which has achieved great success on the international stage in recent years, will be a tremendous achievement for our country. If the footballers draw, it will be, as they say, a stroke of luck. Even if the Turkmen athletes lose, the match will still be a true celebration for our people, attended by foreign guests, and an incentive for new achievements," Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted.

The National Leader expressed confidence that the players will put forth every effort and demonstrate a fair and attractive performance.

The first leg of the AFC Champions League Round of 16 between “Arkadag” and “Al-Nasr” will take place on February 11 at the Olympic Stadium in Ashgabat. Kickoff is at 18:45 local time.

“Arkadag” is currently holding a training camp in Türkiye. Within the framework of their preparation, the team played three friendly matches: a 2-0 victory over “Feronikeli” (Kosovo) and a 1-0 loss to “Dukagjini” (Kosovo) and the Russian club “Dynamo” Makhachkala.