Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Ashgabat: Altymurad Annadurdiyev’s eighth minute goal was enough to see Turkmenistan’s Ahal FC defeat Dordoi of Kyrgyzstan 1-0 in Preliminary Round 1 of the 2015 AFC Cup qualifiers on Monday at Ashgabat Stadium.
The 21-year-old striker's early goal in front of a crowd of 15,000 in the Turkmen capital proved to be too much of deficit for the six-time AFC President’s Cup finalists to overcome and the home side were able to secure victory and with it progress to the final playoff round to be played on February 17.
The 2014 Turkmenistan Cup and Super Cup winners will next take on Oman side Fanja, with the winners of the fixture at the Seeb Sports Complex advancing to a place in Group C of the 2015 AFC Cup.
"We began the game on the front foot and Annadurdiyev scored a very important goal. It gave us more confidence and we continued to show good performance thereafter and we are happy with the result," said Ahal coach Guvonchmukhammad Ovekov.
"Dordoi tried hard to equalise and they created chances in the second half. They are a good side and one of the best teams in Kyrgyzstan, so the match wasn`t easy. But my players gave battle on the pitch and we were able to secure the win.
"Our aim is to qualify to the group stage of AFC Cup. It will be very difficult and important game for my team next week."
The match had begun with the home side dictating the tempo in the early stages and forward Mamedaly Karadanov had a good opportunity inside the opening five minutes of the tie but he was unable to get his shot on target.
But Ahal did not have to wait long for their opener, though, as Annadurdiyev, who joined the side last month from Galkan Futsal club, struck home an eighth minute free-kick that Dordoi custodian Vladislav Volkov was unable to keep out, despite his best attempts.
Dordoi looked to respond to the early setback, however, and after the quarter-hour mark both David Tetteh and strike-partner and Pakistan international Kaleem Ullah went close but the Ahal backline was able to see the side through to the interval with the lead intact.
The visitors' coach Zavisa Milosavljevic made changes shortly into the second period with Vadim Kharchenko and Brazilian Giancarlo Previato entering the fray but it was Volkov who was again the busier, the goalkeeper saving well from Annadurdiyev and Karadanov in quick succession.
Ullah and Tetteh did have chances in the closing spell of the tie when they found themselves in the clear but each time their shots were wide of the Ahal goal as the Turkmen side secured their visit to Seeb and a meeting with Fanja in a week's time.
"We came here to win, but unfortunately we lost the match. Ahal scored a very early goal and we had some problems to create chances after that. Our target was to qualify group stage of the tournament, but we couldn`t achieve that," said Dordoi coach Milosavljevic
"Ahal is a good team and were playing at home, so I cant say we played badly, but it wasnt enough for victory today."