In the 1/16 finals of the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Second Champions League, Turkmen football club “Arkadag” will face Saudi Arabian club “Al-Nasr,” for which Cristiano Ronaldo plays.

The draw for the AFC Second Champions League playoffs took place on December 30 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Among Arkadag’s potential opponents, besides Al-Nasr, were Jordan’s “Al-Hussein” and the UAE’s “Al-Wasl.” Ultimately, the Turkmen team was matched with the strongest opponent — Al-Nasr, widely regarded as one of the favorites to win the tournament.

Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the world’s most decorated footballers, has been playing for Al-Nasr for three years. However, he has never come to Central Asian countries. In 2023 and 2025, the Dushanbe club “Istiqlol” was in the same Champions League group as the Saudi team, but both times the matches in Tajikistan occurred in the final rounds, when Al-Nasr had already secured its playoff position and chose not to bring its key players for away matches.

The match in Ashgabat, however, may be an exception. This is the first leg of a two-match encounter, and the Saudi team is well aware of the Turkmen team’s capabilities, knowing that Arkadag poses a serious threat at home. Arkadag is the current winner of the AFC Challenge League.

Since its foundation, the team has never lost at home. In the spring of this year, in the AFC Challenge League playoffs, Arkadag defeated India’s “East Bengal” 2:1 and Kuwait’s “Al-Arabi” 3:0 at home. This season, in the group stage of the Second Champions League, the Turkmen team beat Bahrain’s “Al-Khalidiya” 1:0 at home and drew with Uzbekistan’s “Andijan” 1:1 and Qatar’s “Al-Ahli” 1:1.

The playoff matches will take place on February 10 or 11 in Arkadag, and on February 17 or 18 in Saudi Arabia.

Notably, Arkadag is the only Central Asian representative in the AFC Champions League playoffs. In the AFC Challenge League playoffs, Kyrgyzstan’s “Muras United” will participate.

ORIENT