"Ahal" defeated "Kopetdag" in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the 2024 Turkmenistan Football Cup. The game took place at the Nisa Stadium in Ashgabat and ended with a score of 2:1.

The match started unexpectedly for the home team – already in the 3rd minute, Shiri Annayev put "Kopetdag" ahead. However, Ahal did not allow the opponent to celebrate their success for long. In the 20th minute, Meylis Diniyev equalized the score, skillfully heading in a corner kick from Elman Tagayev. The fate of the match was decided in the 71st minute, when "Ahal" captain Elman Tagayev converted a penalty, setting the final score of 2:1 in favor of his team.

After the match, Meylis Diniyev shared his impressions of the game: “The match turned out to be difficult. The opponent closed in defense, and it was difficult for us to follow the coach's instructions, especially in the first half. In the second half, we started to play better, but overall the game was not pleasing. We should have played better."

Diniyev also noted the importance of choosing the right position when playing with a header and praised Elman Tagaev's accurate pass. Speaking about the goal conceded at the beginning of the match, the footballer admitted that the team did not immediately get into the game, which led to misunderstandings in defense.

Despite the difficult victory, Diniyev expressed confidence in the team's success in the return match, which will take place on September 8. He also positively assessed the past training camp in Turkey, noting that the team played several successful games with strong opponents.