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Turkmenistan national football team facts for kids

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This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Turkmenistan women's national football team.
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Turkmenistan
Nickname(s) Emerald
Greens
Karakum Warriors
Association Türkmenistanyň Futbol federasiýasy (TFF)
Confederation AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation CAFA (Central Asia)
Head coach Mergen Orazow
Captain Arslanmyrat Amanow
Most caps Arslanmyrat Amanow (58)
Top scorer Wladimir Baýramow (16)
Home stadium Ashgabat Olympic Stadium
Kopetdag Stadium
FIFA code TKM
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 136 Decrease 9 (7 February 2019)
Highest 86 (April 2004)
Lowest 174 (September 2007)
Elo ranking
Current 154 Decrease 6 (3 March 2019)
Highest 83 (31 March 2004)
Lowest 154 (27 March 2018)
First international
 Kazakhstan 1–0 Turkmenistan 
(Almaty, Kazakhstan; 1 June 1992)
Biggest win
 Turkmenistan 11–0 Afghanistan 
(Ashgabat, Turkmenistan; 19 November 2003)
Biggest defeat
 Kuwait 6–1 Turkmenistan 
(Kuwait City, Kuwait; 10 February 2000)
 Tajikistan 5–0 Turkmenistan 
(Dushanbe, Tajikistan; 22 June 1997)
 Qatar 5–0 Turkmenistan 
(Doha, Qatar; 31 May 2004)
 Bahrain 5–0 Turkmenistan 
(Riffa, Bahrain; 3 August 2005)
 South Korea 5–0 Turkmenistan 
(Goyang, South Korea; 5 June 2021)
 Iran 5–0 Turkmenistan 
(Tehran, Iran; 21 March 2024)
Asian Cup
Appearances 2 (first in 2004)
Best result Group stage (2004, 2019)
CAFA Nations Cup
Appearances 1 (first in 2023)
Best result Group stage (2023)
AFC Challenge Cup
Appearances 4 (first in 2008)
Best result Runners-up (2010, 2012)

The Turkmenistan national football team (Turkmen: Türkmenistanyň milli futbol ýygyndysy) represents Turkmenistan in men's international football. It is controlled by the Football Federation of Turkmenistan, the governing body for football in Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan's home ground is the Kopetdag Stadium and their head coach is Mergen Orazow. The team represents FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

History

After the country gained independence, they played their first match against Kazakhstan on 1 June 1992, and against fellow Central Asian nation Uzbekistan on 28 June the same year.

2000s

North Korea-Pyongyang-Kim Il-Sung Stadium-Football game with Turkmenistan-01
Turkmenistan match against North Korea in June 2008

They qualified for the 2004 AFC Asian Cup by winning the 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification, where they were placed in group G, alongside the United Arab Emirates, Syria and Sri Lanka. In the autumn of 2003, in the first leg of the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification, they defeated Afghanistan 11–0 in Ashgabat. Begench Kuliyev and Rejepmyrat Agabaýew each scored a hat-trick, while Guvanchmuhammet Ovekov scored twice. Other players on the scoresheet that day were Nazar Bayramov, Omar Berdiyev and Didarklych Urazov. In the second leg the team won 0–2, with both goals scored by Begench Kuliyev. In December 2003, the national team of Turkmenistan reached the top 100 in the FIFA rankings for the first time in its history, reaching the 99th position, thanks to the successes in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup and the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. In the 2004 AFC Asian Cup that took place in China, Turkmenistan was placed in group C, with neighbours Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. They were knocked out in the group stages following two defeats and a draw against Saudi Arabia.

2010s

In February 2010, Turkmenistan's national football team was coach by Ýazguly Hojageldyýew, who was working for HTTU Aşgabat. Under his leadership the team went to Sri Lanka to participate in the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup. For the first time, they made it to the final, only to see them lose against North Korea in the penalty shootout. In the same year, the Football Association of Turkmenistan invited a native Turkmen, the head coach of FC Rubin Kazan, Kurban Berdyev to resume leadership.

In March 2011, Turkmenistan successfully entered the final round of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup, beating Pakistan, Taiwan, and played in a draw with India in the qualifying competition in Kuala Lumpur. In the summer of 2011, in the race for a spot at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, they faced Indonesia in the second round. After managing a 1–1 draw in the first leg in Ashghabat, they were eventually defeated 4–3 in the second leg, 5–4 on aggregate, thus were knocked out of the contention for qualifying to the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

In winter 2012 the team gathered for a training camp in Turkey. In preparation for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup, Ýazguly Hojageldyýew arranged a friendly match with Romania, which saw them lost 4–0.

In March 2012, the team went to Kathmandu to participate in the final tournament of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup. They beat the hosts Nepal 3–0 and Maldives 3–1, while the final group stage match with Palestine ended in a goalless draw. In the semifinals, Turkmenistan defeated the Philippines 2–1. However, as in the previous edition, they lost the final match to North Korea with a scoreline of 1–2.

In October 2012, Turkmenistan's were invited to the 2012 VFF Cup held in Ho Chi Minh City and finished as runners-up in the tournament, beating the teams of Vietnam and Laos, only to lose in the final match against the South Korean University Selection team 0–4.

On 23 March 2013 Turkmenistan defeated Cambodia 7–0 in Manila, in the qualifying round of the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup. In the second round, Turkmenistan was to meet Brunei, but the team did not arrive at the tournament, thus Turkmenistan was awarded a default 3–0 victory. In the last round, Turkmenistan lost to Philippines 1–0, but managed to qualify for the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup finals as the best second placed team alongside Laos.

In January 2014 Rahym Kurbanmämmedow was again in charge of the national team. They held three training camps in May and participated in the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup, where they were eliminated in the group stage, thereby losing the chance to qualify for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. In June 2014, as a result of their poor performance at the AFC Challenge Cup, the entire coaching staff was dismissed, including the head coach.

Turkmenistan football team 2015
2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Iran in Tehran

In the spring of 2015, Amangylyç Koçumow was appointed as the new head coach of the national team to prepare the team for participation in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. The team started off badly, losing to one of the weakest team in Asia – Guam national football team 0–1. On 16 June 2015, for the first time, the Turkmenistan national team held a match outside Ashgabat, at the Spot toplumy Stadium in Dashoguz in the presence of 10,000 spectators, the Turkmenistan team played a draw with Iran (1–1). Then, the team lost Oman 1:3. In the home games that took place at the Kopetdag Stadium in October 2016, Turkmenistan beat India 2–1 and Guam 1–0. In November, the Turkmenistan held a friendly match with the UAE, which ended in a 1–5 defeat and an official match with Iran, in which the team lost 1–3. On 17 November 2016, the national team of Turkmenistan in the home game sensationally beat the national team of Oman 2–1. In the final stage, the Turkmenistan national team defeated India 2–1. The Turkmenistan team took the 3rd place in Group D, which did not allow the team to go to the next stage of the qualifying games for the 2018 World Cup, but gave the opportunity to fight for getting into the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

JPN-TUR 20190109 Asian Cup 3
Turkmenistan in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup

Back to the AFC Asian Cup

Turkmenistan had finally qualified to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup for the second time in history, having finished second after Bahrain. In the tournament, Turkmenistan was grouped with Japan, neighbor Uzbekistan and Oman. The Turkmen side played pretty well in their first match against Asian powerhouse Japan and even took a lead until the end of the first half, but eventually fell to Japan 2–3. The next match against Uzbekistan was a complete disaster when Turkmenistan decided to play duel with more experienced Uzbekistan, leaving the team defeated 0–4, all four goals were scored in the first half. Turkmenistan then tried to make a fight against Oman, but lost 1–3 with two Omani goals scored in final minutes, thus the team was eliminated without scoring any point. Coach Ýazguly Hojageldyýew resigned in the aftermath of the tournament.

In March 2019, the Football Federation of Turkmenistan named Croatian Ante Miše as the head coach of the Turkmenistan, signing a one-year contract. Another croatian specialist, Sandro Tomić will help to train the national team of Turkmenistan. Croatian coaches are set to develop the overall football in Turkmenistan, not just the national team. His first game, 3 month later, was a 0–0 draw at friendly match with Uganda.

In the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Turkmenistan was then grouped with host Malaysia, Bahrain and Bangladesh. They would go on to lose against Malaysia (1–3) and Bahrain (1–0), and despite winning against Bangladesh (1–2), Turkmenistan did not manage to qualify to the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. In 2023, Turkmenistan participated in the inaugural 2023 CAFA Nations Cup held in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

In November, they lost to Uzbekistan 1–3 and drew 2–2 against Hong Kong during the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification.

Team image

Kit

Years Suppliers
 ????–2007 United States Nike
2007–2010 Germany Jako
2010–2011 Germany Adidas
2012–2016 United Kingdom Umbro
2016–2018 Spain Joma
2019–2023 Germany Jako
2023–present Denmark Hummel

Home stadium

Saparmurat Turkmenbashi Olympic Stadium
Ashgabat Olympic Stadium

From the moment of its formation (1992) until now, the main home stadium of the Turkmenistan national football team is the Köpetdag Stadium in Ashgabat, built and opened in 1997. This stadium is also the venue for home matches of FK Köpetdag Aşgabat. It was reconstructed in 2015 and currently holds 26,503 spectators.

From 2003 until the end of 2012, the main home stadium of the Turkmenistan national team was the Ashgabat Olympic Stadium (until 2017 was named Olympic Stadium named after Saparmurat Turkmenbashi the Great), renovated 2013–2017 and accommodating 45,000 spectators. At the moment, the national team is not used for football matches.

The national team of Turkmenistan in different years held their home matches also in other cities and stadiums of Turkmenistan. So, at the Nisa Stadium in Ashgabat (Match vs China in 1997), at the Sport Toplumy in Dashoguz (Match vs Iran in 2015 and vs Bahrain in 2017), at the Sport Toplumy in Balkanabat (Match vs Taipei in 2017).

Rivalries

TUR-UZB 20190113 Asian Cup 12
Match with Uzbekistan team in the 2019 Asian Cup in UAE

The main rivals of the Turkmenistan national team are the countries of Central Asia, the national teams of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. The main and most important rival of the national team of Turkmenistan are the national teams of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The matches between the countries of Central Asia have always aroused great interest among fans of Central Asia. Football is one of the instruments of rivalry between the states of Central Asia.

Results and fixtures

Main article: Turkmenistan national football team results

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2023

2024

Coaching staff

Position Name
Head coach Turkmenistan Mergen Orazow
Goalkeeper coaches Turkmenistan Begençguly Ýusupow
Assistant coaches Turkmenistan Myrat Baýramow
Assistant coaches Turkmenistan Wladislaw Golowanow
Assistant coaches Turkmenistan Güwançmyrat Annadurdyýew

Coaching history

  • Turkmenistan Baýram Durdyýew (1992–1996)
  • Georgia (country) Elguja Gugushvili (1996–1997)
  • Turkmenistan Täçmyrat Agamyradow (1997–1998)
  • Ukraine Viktor Pozhechevskyi (1998–1999)
  • Russia Turkmenistan Gurban Berdyýew (1999)
  • Turkmenistan Röwşen Muhadow (1999–2000)
  • Turkmenistan Täçmyrat Agamyradow (2000–2001)
  • Ukraine Volodymyr Bezsonov (2002–2003)
  • Turkmenistan Rahym Gurbanmämmedow (2003–2004)
  • Turkmenistan Boris Grigorýanc (2005)
  • Turkmenistan Amangylyç Goçumow (2005–2006)
  • Turkmenistan Rahym Gurbanmämmedow (2007–2009)
  • Turkmenistan Boris Grigorýanc (2009–2010)
  • Turkmenistan Ýazguly Hojageldyýew (2010–2014)
  • Turkmenistan Rahym Gurbanmämmedow (2014)
  • Turkmenistan Amangylyç Koçumow (2015–2016)
  • Turkmenistan Ýazguly Hojageldyýew (2017–2019)
  • Croatia Ante Miše (2019–2020)
  • Turkmenistan Röwşen Muhadow (2021)
  • Turkmenistan Ýazguly Hojageldyýew (2021)
  • Turkmenistan Said Seýidow (2022)
  • Turkmenistan Ýazguly Hojageldyýew (2022)
  • Turkmenistan Mergen Orazow (2023–present)

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC second round in November 2023.

Caps and goals correct as of 21 November 2023, after the match against Hong Kong.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Rasul Çaryýew (1999-09-30) 30 September 1999 (age 25) 8 0 Turkmenistan Arkadag
1GK Rahat Japarow (1996-01-22) 22 January 1996 (age 28) 1 0 Turkmenistan Ahal
1GK Rüstem Ahallyýew (2002-11-16) 16 November 2002 (age 21) 0 0 Turkmenistan Ahal
2DF Şöhrat Söýünow (1992-03-08) 8 March 1992 (age 32) 35 0 Turkmenistan Ahal
2DF Güýçmyrat Annagulyýew (1996-06-10) 10 June 1996 (age 28) 16 2 Turkmenistan Arkadag
2DF Abdy Bäşimow (1995-12-12) 12 December 1995 (age 28) 15 1 Turkmenistan Arkadag
2DF Yhlas Saparmämmedow (1997-02-25) 25 February 1997 (age 27) 8 0 Turkmenistan Arkadag
2DF Teýmur Çaryýew (2000-11-26) 26 November 2000 (age 23) 7 1 Kyrgyzstan Abdysh-Ata Kant
2DF Güýçmyrat Annagulyýew (2001-01-08) 8 January 2001 (age 23) 3 0 Turkmenistan Arkadag
2DF Ýbraýym Mämmedow (1996-01-13) 13 January 1996 (age 28) 3 0 Turkmenistan Arkadag
2DF Ata Geldiýew (1990-01-27) 27 January 1990 (age 34) 1 0 Turkmenistan Ahal
2DF Bagtyýar Gürgenow (1998-02-27) 27 February 1998 (age 26) 0 0 Turkmenistan Ahal
3MF Ahmet Ataýew (1990-09-19) 19 September 1990 (age 34) 37 1 Turkmenistan Altyn Asyr
3MF Ruslan Mingazow (1991-11-23) 23 November 1991 (age 32) 30 6 Hong Kong Kitchee
3MF Resul Hojaýew (1997-06-01) 1 June 1997 (age 27) 15 1 Turkmenistan Arkadag
3MF Ilýa Tamurkin (1989-05-09) 9 May 1989 (age 35) 14 0 Turkmenistan Arkadag
3MF Welmyrat Ballakow (1999-04-04) 4 April 1999 (age 25) 9 0 Turkmenistan Arkadag
3MF Şanazar Tirkişow (1997-02-16) 16 February 1997 (age 27) 3 0 Turkmenistan Arkadag
4FW Arslanmyrat Amanow (1990-03-28) 28 March 1990 (age 34) 58 14 Turkmenistan Arkadag
4FW Altymyrat Annadurdyýew (1993-04-13) 13 April 1993 (age 31) 31 9 Turkmenistan Arkadag
4FW Myrat Annaýew (1993-05-06) 6 May 1993 (age 31) 18 1 Turkmenistan Altyn Asyr
4FW Didar Durdyýew (1993-07-16) 16 July 1993 (age 31) 16 2 Turkmenistan Arkadag
4FW Şanazar Tirkişow (1997-02-16) 16 February 1997 (age 27) 6 0 Turkmenistan Arkadag
4FW Ýazgylyç Gurbanow (1997-03-07) 7 March 1997 (age 27) 2 0 Turkmenistan Ahal
4FW Rahman Myratberdiýew (2001-10-31) 31 October 2001 (age 23) 2 0 Turkmenistan Altyn Asyr
4FW Akmämmet Metdäýew (1998-07-23) 23 July 1998 (age 26) 0 0 Turkmenistan Nebitçi

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the Turkmenistan squad within the last twelve months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Gurbanmyrat Garaýew (1992-06-27) 27 June 1992 (age 32) 0 0 Turkmenistan Şagadam v.  Malaysia, 23 March 2023
DF Şöhrat Söýünow (1992-03-08) 8 March 1992 (age 32) 33 0 Turkmenistan Ahal v.  Malaysia, 23 March 2023
DF Hoşgeldi Hojowow (1996-12-28) 28 December 1996 (age 27) 6 0 Turkmenistan Altyn Asyr v.  Malaysia, 23 March 2023
DF Ýakup Magsatow (1997-03-18) 18 March 1997 (age 27) 0 0 Turkmenistan Köpetdag Aşgabat v.  Malaysia, 23 March 2023
FW Elman Tagaýew (1989-06-02) 2 June 1989 (age 35) 17 1 Turkmenistan Ahal v.  Malaysia, 23 March 2023
Notes
  • INJ = Withdrew due to injury
  • PRE = Preliminary squad / standby
  • RET = Retired from the national team
  • SUS = Serving suspension
  • WD = Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Player records

Players in bold are still active with Turkmenistan.

Most appearances

Amanow Arsalnmyrat
Arslanmyrat Amanow is Turkmenistan's most capped player with 58 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Arslanmyrat Amanow 58 14 2009–present
2 Bahtiýar Hojaahmedow 40 1 2008–2017
Kamil Mingazow 40 3 1992–2004
4 Serdar Annaorazow 39 0 2012–2019
Omar Berdiýew 39 1 2000–2010
Begençmuhammet Kulyýew 39 11 1997–2006
7 Ahmet Ataýew 37 1 2012–present
8 Gurbangeldi Durdyýew 36 2 1992–2004
9 Wladimir Baýramow 35 16 2000–2013
Şöhrat Söýünow 35 0 2011–present

Top goalscorers

Wladimir Baýramow 2008
Wladimir Baýramow is Turkmenistan's top scorer with 16 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Wladimir Baýramow 16 35 0.46 2000–2013
2 Arslanmyrat Amanow 14 58 0.24 2009–present
3 Çaryýar Muhadow 13 18 0.72 1992–2000
4 Rejepmyrat Agabaýew 12 30 0.4 1994–2004
5 Begençmuhammet Kulyýew 11 39 0.28 2000–2013
6 Berdymyrat Şamyradow 10 24 0.42 2008–2015
7 Guwançmuhammet Öwekow 9 23 0.39 2003–2010
Muslim Agaýew 9 25 0.36 1994–2007
Altymyrat Annadurdyýew 9 31 0.29 2015–present
10 Didargylyç Urazow 6 18 0.33 1996–2003
Mämmedaly Garadanow 6 22 0.27 2004–2011
Ruslan Mingazow 6 30 0.2 2009–present

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup Qualification
Year Round Position Pld W D* L F A Pld W D L F A
1930 to 1990 Part of  Soviet Union Part of  Soviet Union
United States 1994 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
France 1998 Did not qualify 6 2 0 4 8 13
South Korea Japan 2002 6 4 0 2 12 7
Germany 2006 8 4 1 3 21 10
South Africa 2010 10 3 2 5 9 13
Brazil 2014 2 0 1 1 4 5
Russia 2018 8 4 1 3 10 11
Qatar 2022 6 3 0 3 8 11
Canada Mexico United States 2026 4 0 1 3 3 11
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total – 0/8 – – – – – – 49 20 6 23 75 80

AFC Asian Cup

Main article: Turkmenistan at the AFC Asian Cup
AFC Asian Cup record AFC Asian Cup qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Hong Kong 1956 to Qatar 1988 Part of  Soviet Union Part of  Soviet Union
Japan 1992 Not an AFC member Not an AFC member
United Arab Emirates 1996 Did not qualify 4 0 1 3 3 8
Lebanon 2000 4 3 0 1 15 6
China 2004 Round 1 12th 3 0 1 2 4 6 6 4 2 0 10 2
Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 2007 Did not enter Did not enter
Qatar 2011 Did not qualify AFC Challenge Cup
Australia 2015
United Arab Emirates 2019 Group stage 21st 3 0 0 3 3 10 14 7 2 5 19 21
Qatar 2023 Did not qualify 9 4 0 5 11 16
Saudi Arabia 2027 To be determined To be determined
Total Best: Group stage 2/18 6 0 1 5 7 16 28 18 5 14 58 53
  • 2010 AFC Challenge Cup was used to determine qualification for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification.

Asian Games

Asian Games record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA
National team
Japan Hiroshima 1994 Quarter-finals 5 1 3 1 7 9
Thailand Bangkok 1998 Quarter-finals 6 3 2 1 10 9
Total Best: Quarter-finals 11 4 5 2 17 18

Note: as of 2002, only U23 teams are allowed to participate in the Asian Games' football tournament.

AFC Challenge Cup

AFC Challenge Cup record
Year Result Pld W D L GF GA
Bangladesh 2006 Did not enter
India 2008 Group stage 3 1 1 1 6 2
Sri Lanka 2010 Runners-up 5 3 2 0 6 2
Nepal 2012 Runners-up 5 3 1 1 9 4
Maldives 2014 Group stage 3 1 0 2 6 6
Total Best: Runners-up 16 8 4 4 27 14

CAFA Nations Cup

CAFA Nations Cup record
Year Result Pld W D L GF GA
Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan 2023 Group stage 3 0 1 2 1 5
Total Best: Group stage 3 0 1 2 1 5

RCD Cup/ECO Cup

Year Round Pld W D L GF GA
Iran 1965 to Turkey 1974 No international team
Iran 1993 Runners-up 4 2 0 2 6 5
Total Best: Runners-up 4 2 0 2 6 5

Head-to-head record

Main article: Turkmenistan national football team records and statistics

FIFA ranking history

Honours

Continental

  • AFC Challenge Cup
    • Med 2.png Runner-up (2): 2010, 2012

Exhibition Tournament

  • ECO Cup
    • Med 2.png Runner-up(1): 1993
  • 1997 Turkmenistan President's Cup – Med 1.pngChampions
  • 2002 Turkmenistan President's Cup – Med 2.pngRunners-up
  • HCM City Cup 2008 (Vietnam)– Med 1.pngChampions

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Turkmenistán para niños

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