Turkmenistan Steps onto the International Football Stage: New Challenges at the CAFA Nations Cup 2025

Following the recent draw, Turkmenistan’s national football team gained the opportunity to participate in new international challenges. This time, the competition is the "CAFA Nations Cup — 2025," which will take place from August 29 to September 8 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

According to the draw, our national team will compete in Group A against Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Oman. Meanwhile, Group B will feature Tajikistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Malaysia. Matches of Group A will be held in Tashkent, while Group B games will be played in Dushanbe.

Turkmenistan’s national team will play its first match in this international tournament against Kyrgyzstan on August 30. Then, on September 2, they will face Uzbekistan. The last group stage match is scheduled for September 5 against Oman.

According to the tournament rules, the winners of each group will meet in the final, while the second-placed teams will compete for third place. The final matches will be held on September 8.

These matches are very important for Turkmen football. Our national team also achieved success in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. In a recent match held in Ashgabat, we defeated Thailand 3:1 and currently lead our group with 6 points. Thailand and Sri Lanka share second and third places with 3 points each.

According to the draw, our team is in Group D with Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Coached by Röwşen Meredow, the team will play five matches in 2025 and one in March 2026 within the qualifiers. The winners of this stage will qualify for the final tournament of the Asian Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia.

These international competitions ahead of Turkmenistan’s national team are an important step for the development and rising prestige of our football on the international stage.