The Turkmenistan U20 national football team lost to the Kyrgyzstan team with a score of 0:1 in the second round of the 2025 Asian Cup qualifying tournament.

The match, held In Bishkek, ended with a victory for the hosts thanks to the only goal scored from a penalty in the 62nd minute by Beknaz Almazbekov. However, the head coach of the Turkmen team Dovletmurad Annayev in a post-match interview called the referee’s decision to award a penalty a mistake and a key factor influencing the outcome of the match.

Fans on social networks also expressed doubt about the legality of the penalty, noting that the Turkmenistan team looked decent throughout the match. The confident play of the Turkmen team's goalkeeper Seyran Ashirov, who was close to parrying the shot, was especially noted.

In an interview with the Kyrgyz Sport TV channel after the match, Dovletmurad Annaev commented on the situation with restraint: “The referee decided so. I think this decision was wrong, but it was key. The game was equal, both teams had moments, but the decisive factor did not depend on us.” The coach also noted that the game of the Kyrgyz team generally met the expectations of the Turkmen team.

The next match of the Turkmen team will be held on September 29 against the Myanmar team. However, this match will no longer have much tournament significance, since both teams, having lost in the first two rounds, lost their chances to reach the final part of the 2025 Asian Cup.