The AFC Champions League draw ended. Many Turkmen football fans expected the fate of the draw to bring together Turkmen FC Ahal, who has reached the group stage of the most prestigious club tournament in Asia for the second year in a row, with Saudi Arabian FC Al Nassr, for which the famous Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo is performing. However, the draw placed Al Nassr in a different group, but, there is a chance of the Portuguese forward coming to Turkmenistan. To do this, Ahal and Al Nassr have to reach the playoff round, and we have to wait for the two clubs to play in it. Ronaldo is a multiple winner of the Ballon d’Or. However, has it ever happened that the Turkmen footballers played against the winners of this prestigious award in previous years? Let’s find it out together!
Oleg Blokhin, 1975 Ballon d’Or winner
On July 5, 1977, the local club Kairat met with Dynamo Kiev in the Soviet Union Championships (major league) match in Almaty (Kazakhstan). The match, which ended in a 1:1 draw, is of interest because of our compatriot Kurban Berdyev, who played for the home club. Our fellow countryman Kurban Berdyev met face to face on the field with a Golden Ball winner Oleg Blokhin, who played for Dynamo Kiev. Renowned O. Blokhin failed to break down the Kairat’s defences, in whose ranks the Turkmen midfielder K. Berdyev stood out.
Andrey Shevchenko, 2002 Ballon d’Or winner
On January 31, 1998, the Turkmen football players again took to the field against a Golden Ball winner. On that day, Kopetdag from Ashgabat met with Dynamo Kyiv in the semi-finals of the CIS Champions Cup in Moscow. The coach tasked our defender Jumadurdy Meredov to «neutralize» the world football star Andrey Shevchenko in that game, which ended in favour of the Ukrainian team.
Hristo Stoichkov, 1994 Ballon d’Or winner
Turkmen football fans will remember for a long time the 1998 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup. Kopetdag from Ashgabat met with Saudi Arabian Al Nassr, which Cristiano Ronaldo is currently playing for, in the final match, consisting of one fixture. The Saudi Arabian club loaned a European football star for that game – a Bulgarian football player Hristo Stoichkov, who played for Barcelona, to beat Kopetdag.
We should note all the Kopetdag players, as they played well against the formidable opponent. We also should note the 11-metre shot in the 4th minute, when the goalkeeper of Turkmenistan Evgeniy Naboychenko saved Stoichkov’s shot. That penalty shot saved by the Turkmen goalkeeper caused a great resonance in the world sports media.
Lionel Messi, seven-time Ballon d’Or winner (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021)
We can safely say that Gochguly Gochgulyev occupies a leading position in Turkmen football. Our defender, who reached the Asian Champions League semi-finals with Pakhtakor from Tashkent, remains the most efficient Turkmen football player in this international tournament.
The historic matches with Gochguliyev’s participation include a friendly match against Spanish Barcelona. On January 9, 2009, Barcelona drew (1:1) with Tashkent Bunyodkor at the Camp Nou. Our compatriot Gochguly Gochgulyev was tasked with neutralizing Lionel Messi. Leo failed to score in that match, as the Turkmen football player had followed strictly the coach’s instructions. After the game, journalists asked G. Gochgulyev, «You took good care of Messi, the public focused its attention on the two of you. How are you feeling? Have you swapped shirts with Messi?» To this question, Gochguly replied, «I swapped shirts with Barcelona central defender Carles Puyol.»
Rivaldo, 1999 Ballon d’Or winner
On June 21, 2009, Bunyodkor from Tashkent met with Navbakhor from Namangan in an Uzbekistan Cup match. In that match, the striker for Bunyodkor was a Golden Ball winner, famous Brazilian Rivaldo, and the striker for Navbakhor was Mamedali Garadanov from Turkmenistan.
Rivaldo is the fifth Golden Ball winner to oppose a Turkmen football player. Rivaldo remains the first Golden Ball winner to play for the same club (Bunyodkor) together with a Turkmen football player (G. Gochgulyev). The Turkmen goalkeeper Bayramniyaz Berdiev defended the Novbakhor’s goal in that Uzbekistan Cup match.
Merdan BAYADOV,
A sports observer.
