Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa congratulated FC «Arkadag» on winning their first AFC Challenge League title after the Turkmen team beat the reigning four-time Cambodian champions «Preah Khan Rich Svay Rieng» 2-1 in extra time at the «Morodok Techo» National Stadium in Phnom Penh in front of 51,600 spectators, the AFC press service reported.
Before the game, many experts preferred the «Svay Rieng» team, which includes many Brazilian legionnaires, and the match was held at their home stadium in Cambodia. However, the reigning two-time champion of Turkmenistan proved that it is possible to achieve results without foreigners.
As previously reported, the victory of Arkadag was brought by goals from Mekan Saparov in the 59th minute and Altymyrat Annadurdyyev (112th). Sareth Kria (82nd) scored for the hosts.
«On behalf of the Asian Football Family, I would like to congratulate FC «Arkadag» from Turkmenistan on their historic victory in the AFC Challenge League. We must also commend both the Football Federation of Turkmenistan and the Football Federation of Cambodia for creating a dynamic environment for their clubs to thrive on the continental stage», –the Asian Football Confederation President said in his congratulatory message.
The AFC President also expressed his appreciation to the 18 participating clubs and member associations for their continued commitment to ensuring the success of the inaugural edition of the AFC Challenge League, and paid tribute to the five hosts of the centralised group stage.
Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa expressed the AFC’s sincere gratitude to all stakeholders for adopting landmark reforms in club competitions.
«This new historic chapter could not have been written without the unwavering support of our gracious hosts throughout the group stages and I applaud them all, as well as everyone who worked behind the scenes from start to finish, for their unity in delivering a memorable AFC Challenge League season that will strengthen the foundation for us to reach new heights in the coming years», –the Asian Football Confederation President emphasised.
