The first round of the 2026 Turkmenistan Football Championship will be played on April 4. The Premier League remains the country's premier football event, capturing the attention of fans throughout the season. We cover the past championship, the intrigues of the new season, and the key transfer news of the offseason.

How did the 2025 season go?

Arkadag emerged victorious once again in the previous edition of the Turkmenistan Championship. Bayramov's stellar team secured the Premier League gold medal ahead of schedule, five rounds before the end of the season. However, calling the Premier League a one-team championship would be completely unfair. Besides Arkadag, several clubs pleasantly surprised fans with their level of play. Among them were silver and bronze medalists Ahal and Altyn Asyr, who battled for second place and a coveted spot in the second AFC Champions League almost until the final round. Shagadam also improved as the tournament progressed, finishing the season in fourth place.

The outstanding individual performances of the past season also deserve mention. Throughout the tournament, the scoring race was a fascinating one to follow. Although the main competition was between Didar Durdyev and Altymurad Annadurdyyev of Arkadag, Elman Tagayev also performed admirably, once again confirming his status as the championship's top-scoring midfielder.

Before the start of the new season in Turkmenistan, the best players of the past year were named. Elman Tagayev was named the best footballer, and Didar Durdyev was named the top scorer with 27 goals. Vladimir Bayramov was named the best coach, and Resul Mamedov was named the best referee. The Fair Play award went to Arkadag.

Transfer Offseason

Transfer sagas were another highlight of the offseason. The teams made significant roster changes, and Ahal fans suffered the most: several of the club's leading players changed their addresses. Tagayev, Abdurakhmanov, Annayev, and Mamiyev were sent to Nebitchi, Gurgenov strengthened Altyn Asyr, and Umarov, Metdayev, and Narjanov were sent to other clubs in the league.

Among the key offseason transfers was the move of forward trio Meredov, Diniev, and Myratberdyev to Arkadag, which already boasts the strongest squad in the league. Altyn Asyr also made smart moves in the market: the club bolstered its defense with Bakhtiyar Gurgenov from Ahal and reinforced its midfield with creative midfielder Begmurat Bayov from Ashgabat. Altyn Asyr also parted ways with two aging forwards: Suleyman Mukhadov and Vakhit Orazsahedov joined Rakhat Japarov at Ashgabat.

There have also been changes in the coaching staffs of several clubs. Eziz Annamukhammedov has been appointed head coach of Ahal, Rahmanguly Bayliyev of Merv, and Maksat Shamyradov of Shagadam.

Match Schedule

The Football Federation of Turkmenistan has published the schedule for the first round. It will take place on April 4–5 and open with a match between Ahal and Kopetdag. According to preliminary information, the match will take place at Ashgabat Stadium, with kickoff at 16:30.

April 4 (Saturday)

16:30 “Ahal” – “Kopetdag” (Ashgabat stadium)

16:00 “Shagadam” – “Nebitchi” (Shagadam stadium)

April 5 (Sunday)

17:45 “Arkadag” – “Merv” (Ashgabat stadium)

17:00 “Altyn Asyr” – “Ashgabat” (sports complex, Buzmeyin etrap)