Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr FC started the AFC Challenge League™ 2025/26 with a narrow 1–0 win over Kyrgyzstan’s FC Abdysh-Ata.
The match took place in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, where Group A of the West Zone is being played in a centralized format. Competing for a place in the quarterfinals are also the Bhutanese Paro FC and Oman’s Al Shabab Club.
In the 53rd minute, Abdysh-Ata was reduced to ten men after defender Khristiyan Brauzman was sent off for fouling Myrat Annayev, who was breaking away towards goal. Taking advantage of their numerical superiority, Altyn Asyr seized control of the game and maintained their dominance until the final whistle.
Soon after, Brazilian L.Barreto made a fatal mistake that decided the outcome of the match. In the 58th minute, he blindly passed the ball back to his goalkeeper, but instead gifted it to Myrat Annayev, who rounded goalkeeper Sultan Chomoyev and from the edge of the box sent the ball into the empty net.
In the other Group A match, Oman’s Al Shabab defeated Bhutan’s Paro by the same score 1–0. The winning goal came in the 26th minute from a penalty, converted by Kenean Markine.
Thus, after the first round, Altyn Asyr and Al Shabab lead the group with 3 points each, while Abdysh-Ata and Paro have no points yet.
In the second round, Altyn Asyr will face Paro, while Al Shabab will meet Abdysh-Ata.
20 clubs are competing for the AFC Challenge League 2025/26 trophy, divided geographically into two zones — West and East. Matches in the five groups are played in a centralized format, with each team facing its group opponents once.
At the end of the group stage, eight teams will advance to the quarterfinals: three group winners and the second-placed best team from the West Zone, as well as the two best teams from each group in the East Zone.
The playoff matches will be played on a home-and-away basis. Quarterfinals are scheduled for March, semifinals for April 2026, and the final is set for May 9, 2026.
In the previous edition of the tournament, the winner of the AFC Challenge League was the current champion of Turkmenistan, Arkadag.
