Turkmen football players spoke about the participation of the Russian team in the CA tournament
The news that the Russian national football team will take part in the first championship of the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) among men's teams caused a mixed reaction among both football players and sports fans. And not only in Russia, but also abroad.
As is known, the national team of Turkmenistan also belongs to the CAFA sub-federation, so it is possible that it will have a test (and at the same time good luck) to meet with the eminent Russian team.
ORIENT asked the players of the national team of Turkmenistan for their opinion on the participation of the Russian team in the championship of the Football Association of Central Asia, as well as our chances in a possible meeting.
Forward Didar Durdyev unequivocally spoke in terms of the fact that the participation of a strong Russian team in Asian tournaments would be a good school and invaluable experience for any team from the AFC.
− This is a new challenge for our national team. Participation in such an interesting Russian tournament will be a good test for us. This can be assessed as a powerful impetus for the development of Turkmen football. It will help improve tactical and technical actions on the field both in the team and personal aspects, - the football player said in an interview with an ORIENT correspondent.
The forward also shared his predictions:
− Of course, Russia is the undisputed favorite, but the rest of the teams are far from a gift. I am sure that each of them will carefully prepare for the upcoming games with faith in themselves and their strengths. In my opinion, a very intriguing tournament with spectacular matches awaits us,” Didar Durdyev summed up.
Forward of the national team of Turkmenistan Mikhail Titov also joined the conversation:
− The team is faced with the task of making every effort to achieve high results in the Central Asian tournament.
– We will gain a very valuable experience, – Mikhail continued, – by taking part in the CAFA championship. But in order to show a decent result, we have to give everything on the field and demonstrate quality football.
The father of football player of the national team of Turkmenistan Ruslan Mingazov, the head coach of the women's team Kamil Mingazov shared his opinion on the participation of the Russian national team in the championship of the Football Association of Central Asia.
“Our players will have the opportunity to assess their own level and, having drawn conclusions, determine further steps to improve their game,” Mingazov Sr. noted, “Russia is, of course, the favorite, but Iran should not be written off.
The championship, which will be held in Bishkek and Tashkent from June 9 to 21, will feature member countries of the Central Asian Football Association: Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. The Russian team has confirmed its participation in this tournament. In addition, it is planned to invite another one of the Asian teams.
According to the regulations, eight teams will be divided into two quartets. The winners of the two groups will meet in the final, and the teams that became second will compete for third place.
In February 2022, the International Football Federation and UEFA excluded Russian clubs and teams from international tournaments.
On December 30, the Russian Football Union (RFU) created a working group that, after carefully studying the issue of a possible transfer (or not transfer) from UEFA to the Asian Football Confederation, should formulate specific recommendations for the return of the national team and club teams to the international level.
The fact is that Russian football clubs and national teams, having fallen under sanctions, were deprived of the opportunity to participate in international tournaments. Because of this, the question arose about the transition of the RFU from UEFA to the Asian Football Confederation.
The opinions of sports officials are divided: those who believe that it is better to play in a weaker Asia in terms of football than not to play at all are in favor of the transition. And those who believe that sooner or later everything will return to normal are voting against this position.
If the first opinion wins, then with the arrival of Russia to the stadiums of Asia, the competitive struggle there will increase significantly, thereby raising the overall level of football in this part of the continent to new heights.
Artur PETROSYANTS
