“Arkadag” head coach Mergen Orazov thanked the fans for their support during the match against Saudi Arabia's “Al-Nasr”. He also expressed hope that the Olympic Stadium in Ashgabat will continue to host football matches.

"The atmosphere at the stadium was incredible. I'd like to thank our fans for their support; it means so much to us. I think that's the power of football—when the entire country unites in supporting the players, and the players want to show their gratitude. A huge thank you to our leaders for such a magnificent event. The stadium is stunning, the atmosphere was incredible. We hope we can continue hosting the Turkmenistan national team here, and perhaps the “Arkadag” team as well," Orazov said at the post-game press conference.

“Arkadag” lost 1-0 to “Al-Nasr” in the first leg of the AFC Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday. The match took place at the Olympic Stadium in Ashgabat. “Al-Nasr” striker Abdullah Al-Hamdan scored the only goal in the 19th minute.

The coach noted that the team did everything possible to win. "Unfortunately, we weren't able to achieve a positive result in the match. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the players; they did everything in their power. I'd also like to highlight the caliber of our opponents; they have many strong players on their roster, including members of the Saudi Arabian national team. But there's still the return leg, so we still have a chance (of advancing to the next round – ed.)," he said.

Orazov admitted that the team hadn't played at its best in the first 20 minutes. "A single mistake in the 19th minute cost us the victory. But we still have a chance, and we'll try to capitalize on it in the return leg. We'll work on our mistakes and try to be in better shape for the next match in Riyadh," the “Arkadag” coach emphasized.

The head coach also noted the difference in the teams' fitness levels. "Our season is just beginning, while “Al-Nasr's” is in full swing. Physically, we haven't reached our best form yet, but we still have time to prepare for the next game and show a good result," Orazov said.

The AFC Champions League Round of 16 return leg between “Arkadag” and “Al-Nassr” will take place on February 18. The winner of this match will play the winner of the match between “Al-Zawraa” (Iraq) and “Al-Wasl” (UAE) in the quarterfinals.

The Olympic Stadium in Ashgabat seats 45 thousand spectators and is the largest stadium in Turkmenistan by capacity. The arena was built specifically for the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, which took place in the capital of Turkmenistan in 2017. Since the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games, the stadium has not hosted any official competitions. The match against “Al-Nasr” was the first football match held there.

As reported by the publication "Golden Age," several changes have been made to “Arkadag's” coaching staff ahead of the AFC-2 Champions League playoffs. Due to the expiration of Rovshan Mukhadov's contract, with whom the Turkmenistan champions successfully advanced through the group stage, the football club of the country's first "smart" city has added 37-year-old Mergen Orazov, a PRO-qualified coach, to the AFC-2 Champions League. Prior to this appointment, this specialist worked with the Turkmenistan national team and, in the second half of 2025, with Lithuanian side Dainava.