Turkmenistan national football team

History

After the country gained independence, they played their first match against Kazakhstan on 1 June 1992.

2000

They qualified for the 2004 Asian Cup. The right to act in the final stage of the 2004 Asian Cup footballers achieved by winning the 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification in the group «G», where the team were also the United Arab Emirates, Syria and Sri Lanka. In the autumn of 2003, the national team in the preliminary matches of the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC), defeated in Ashgabat national team of Afghanistan team with a score of 11:0, a hat-trick were noted Begench Kuliyev and Rejepmyrat Agabaýew, two goals scored Guvanchmuhammet Ovekov, stir well Nazar Bayramov, Omar Berdiyev and Didarklych Urazov. In the second leg the team won Afghanistan (0:2), both goals in the scored Begench Kuliyev. In December 2003, the national team of Turkmenistan for the first time in its history, entered the hundred strongest football teams in the world in the FIFA rankings, reaching the 99th position, thanks to the success in the qualifying match of the 2004 Asian Cup and the qualifying round of the 2006 World Cup. In the 2004 Asian Cup that took place in China, the team got to the group «C», with neighbours Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Team could only get a solitary point against Saudi Arabia in group play.

2010

In February 2010, Turkmenistan's national football team was headed by Ýazguly Hojageldyýew, who was working for HTTU Aşgabat. Under his leadership the team went to Sri Lanka to participate in the final tournament of the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup. For the first time, they made it to the final of the AFC Challenge Cup, losing in the final match with the DPRK team 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, the national team of Turkmenistan successfully entered the final round of the AFC Challenge Cup 2012, beating Pakistan, Taiwan, and played in a draw with India in the qualifying competition in Kuala Lumpur. In the summer of 2011 the first qualifying match against Indonesia in the race for getting into the final of the 2014 World Cup team beginning in Ashgabat draw (1:1), and the humiliating defeat in the party with a 4–3 team knocked out of the fight for the right to go to the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

In winter 2012 the team gathered for a training camp in Turkey. In preparation for the AFC Challenge Cup 2012 team Ýazguly Hojageldyýew had a friendly match with Romania, as a result of devastating Turkmenistan team lost 4–0.

In March 2012, the team went to Kathmandu to participate in the final tournament of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup. Turkmenistan national team beat the tournament hosts Nepal (3:0) and the team of the Maldives (3:1) match with Palestine ended in a goalless draw. In the semifinals, Turkmenistan defeated the Philippines (2–1). However, in the final team of Turkmenistan for the second consecutive missed a chance to win the AFC Challenge Cup, conceding a goal from the DPRK team at the end of the match after losing the game by a score of 1:2.

In October 2012, Turkmenistan's team took second place at the 2012 VFF Cup, beating the teams of Vietnam, Laos and devastating losing a against University Selection South Korea(0:4).

March 23, 2013 Turkmenistan footballers defeated team Cambodia(7–0) in Manila, on the qualifying round of the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup. In the second round, our team of Turkmenistan was to meet with the team of Brunei, Brunei but the team did not arrive at the tournament thus was awarded the technical victory 3–0. In the last round of Turkmenistan team lost to Philippines (1–0), but came out in the final of the AFC Challenge Cup with a second place for the best performance among all other groups.

In January 2014 again became head coach Rahym Kurbanmämmedow, the team held three training camps in May and went to the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup, where it was unable to leave the group, thereby losing the chance to qualify for the 2015 Asian Cup. In June 2014 for poor team play in the final tournament of the AFC Challenge Cup, was dismissed the entire coaching staff, including head coach.

Asian Cup record

Asian Games record

Note: As of 2002 only U23 teams permitted to take part in Asian Games Football Tournament.

RCD Cup/ECO Cup record

Previous matches

  Win   Draw   Loss

Honours

Coaches

Current squad

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the Turkmenistan's squad in the last 12 months.