Captain of the Turkmenistan national football team Arslanmurat Amanov shared his expectations from the upcoming match against Iran in the qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup and 2027 Asian Cup.

– Tell us, what is the state of the team before this match and how did the preparation go?

– First of all, we understand that the opponent is very experienced. The coach gave us clear tactical instructions - to act compactly, play short passes and rely on team cohesion.

We also paid a lot of attention to set pieces, following the coach's instructions, which will need to be executed in tomorrow's match. Tomorrow we will come out as a united team, ready to fight to the end. We are determined to do everything possible to achieve a positive outcome.

– Are there any plans to shoot from afar, like in the memorable match against Japan at the 2019 Asian Cup?

– We will only be glad if such moments present themselves. In every match we strive to make dangerous shots and score goals. But the game does not always work out accordingly. We hope that suitable situations will arise tomorrow and we will take advantage of them.

Let us remind you that on March 26, the Turkmenistan national team will host the Iranian team as part of the 4th round of the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup. The match will take place at the capital's Ashgabat stadium and will begin at 20:00 local time. 36-year-old referee from Thailand Sivakorn Pu-udom was appointed as the chief referee.