"Akhal" defeated Tajik club and entered the AFC-2 League

Turkmen soccer club Akhal defeated Tajik Regar-TadAZ 2-1 in the preliminary round and got a ticket to the group stage of the AFC Champions League-2. Arzuw.news reports with reference to Turkmenistan: Golden Age.

The decisive match was held in Tursunzad at the TALCO Arena between the reigning winner of the Cup of Tajikistan-2024 and the representative of Turkmen soccer.

Bakhtiyar Gurgenov scored the first goal for Akhal in the 62nd minute after a corner kick. Two minutes later, the Tajik club evened the score thanks to David Atsam's long-range shot from the 25-meter mark. Suleiman Mirzoev brought the winning goal to the Turkmen team in the 82nd minute after an effective pass from Hakmuhammet Byashimov.

Thanks to this victory, Turkmenistan for the first time in history got the opportunity to field two clubs in the AFC Champions League-2. Along with Ahal, Arkadag, which qualified as the winner of the AFC Challenge League, will take part in the tournament.

The AFC Champions League-2 is an analog of the previously existing AFC Cup, in the final of which Ashgabat's Altyn Asyr participated in 2018. The Asian Football Confederation has reformed club competitions since last season, creating three tournaments of different levels.

The draw for the group stage of the AFC Champions League 2 is scheduled for August 15.