Ýokary Liga

The Turkmenistan Higher League, also called Türkmenistan Ýokary Liga (Turkmen: Ýokary liga futbol klublarynyň arasyndaky futbol boýunça Türkmenistanyň çempionaty),^[2] is the top division of professional football in Turkmenistan, operated under the auspices of the Turkmenistan Football Federation.

Turkmenistan Higher League

Organising body	Turkmenistan Football Federation
Founded	1992; 31 years ago (1992)
Country	Turkmenistan
Confederation	AFC
Number of teams	9^[1]
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Turkmenistan First League
Domestic cup(s)	Turkmenistan Cup Turkmenistan Super Cup
International cup(s)	CIS Cup (1993—2011) AFC President's Cup (2008—2014) AFC Cup (2004—2007; since 2015 season) AFC Champions League (since 2022)
Current champions	Ahal FK (1st title) (2022)
Most championships	Altyn Asyr (8 titles)
TV partners	Turkmenistan Sport
Website	tff.com
Current: 2023

It was founded in 1992. Nine clubs participate in the Higher League of the Turkmenistan National Championship. The season runs between April and November.

There are 9 teams in the competition. As of the 2022 season, the league had one AFC Champions League qualifying spot for the league winner league, and one spot in the AFC Cup were allocated to the runners-up team.^[3]

Since the introduction of the Turkmenistan Higher League in 1992, FC Altyn Asyr (8 times), FC Kopetdag (6 times), FC Nebitchi (4 times), FC Nisa (4 times), FC Yedigen (4 times), FC Ashgabat (2 times, FC Ahal (1 time) and FC Shagadam (1 time) have won the title. FC Ahal are the current champions fo the first time.^[4]

History

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, starting in 1992, each former Soviet republic organized an independent national championship.

FC Kopetdag won the first four titles. Nisa Aşgabat was the only team which managed to break Kopetdag's dominance, winning the top division title in 1996.

In 2022, FC Ahal won the title for the first time in their history in Turkmenistan professional football.^[5]

Competition

The league traditionally used to run in summer, from April to November.^[6]

As of the 2022 season, the champions qualify for the AFC Champions League group stage. The runners-up qualifies for the AFC Cup group stage. If the winner of Turkmenistan Cup ends in first or second on the championship in same season, then the third-place team qualifies to AFC Cup group stage.^[7][8]

Current clubs

 

 

Merw

 

Energetik

 

Nebitçi

 

Şagadam

 

Ahal
Altyn Asyr
Aşgabat

 

Kopetdag

class=notpageimage|

Location of teams in the 2019 Ýokary Liga

A total of 9 teams will contest the league.^[1] The following teams are competing in the 2023 season:

Club	Location	Stadium	Capacity	Coach	Kit sponsor
Arkadag ^[9]^[10]	Arkadag City^[9]	Nusaý Stadium ^[11]	5000	Guwançmuhammet Öwekow ^[11]
Ahal	Änew	Ashgabat Stadium (Auxiliary field)	500	Hojaahmet Arazow	Nike
Altyn Asyr	Ashgabat	Büzmeýin Sport Complex^[12]	10,000	Ýazguly Hojageldiýew	Puma
Aşgabat	Ashgabat	Ashgabat Stadium (Auxiliary field)	500	Said Seýidow	Adidas
Nebitçi	Balkanabat	Balkanabat Sport Complex	10,000	Amanmyrat Meredow	Jako^[13]
Energetik	Turkmenbashi village, Mary Region	Energetik stadiony	1,000	Rahmanguly Baýlyýew	Nike
Köpetdag Aşgabat	Ashgabat	Köpetdag Stadium	26,000	Tofik Şükürow	Kappa
Merw	Mary	Mary Sport Complex	10,000	Magtymguly Begenjew	Nike
Şagadam	Türkmenbaşy	Şagadam Stadium	5,000	Aleksandr Klimenko	Nike

Soviet era champions

^[14]

• 1937–38: Lokomotiw Aşgabat
• 1938: Dinamo Aşgabat
• 1939–45: no championship
• 1946: Dinamo Aşgabat
• 1947: Spartak Aşgabat
• 1948: Dinamo Aşgabat
• 1949: Lokomotiw Aşgabat
• 1950: Spartak Aşgabat
• 1951: DOSA Aşgabat
• 1952: DOSA Aşgabat
• 1953: Dinamo Aşgabat
• 1954: Combined team of Mary Oblast
• 1955: Combined team of Aşgabat
• 1956: Gyzyl Metallist Aşgabat
• 1957: Combined team of Aşgabat Oblast
• 1958: Combined team of Aşgabat
• 1959: Combined team of Nebitdag
• 1960: Combined team of Çärjew
• 1961: Energetik Nebitdag
• 1962: Energetik Nebitdag
• 1963: Gurluşykçy Mary
• 1964: Serhetçi Aşgabat
• 1965: Serhetçi Aşgabat
• 1966: Serhetçi Aşgabat
• 1967: Serhetçi Aşgabat
• 1968: Serhetçi Aşgabat
• 1969: Serhetçi Aşgabat
• 1970: Garagum Mary
• 1971: Maýak Çärjew
• 1972: Energogurluşykçy Mary
• 1973: Sementçi Büzmeýin
• 1974: Awtomobilist Aşgabat
• 1975: Nebitçi Krasnowodsk
• 1976: Energetik Mary
• 1977: Şatlyk Mary
• 1978: Nebitçi Krasnowodsk
• 1979: Nebitçi Krasnowodsk
• 1980: Nebitçi Krasnowodsk
• 1981: Gurluşykçy Nebitdag
• 1982: Lokomotiw Aşgabat
• 1983: Obahojalyktehnika Çärjew
• 1984: Nebitçi Krasnowodsk
• 1985: Lokomotiw Aşgabat
• 1986: Nebitçi Krasnowodsk
• 1987: SKIF Aşgabat
• 1988: Ahal Aşgabat Raýon
• 1989: Medik Nebitdag
• 1990: Awtomobilist Aşgabat
• 1991: Sel'khoztekhnika Aşgabat

Seasons summary

^[14]

Season	Champions	Runners-up	Third place	Top scorer (Team) – Goals
1992	Köpetdag Aşgabat	Nebitçi Nebitdag	Ahal Akdaşaýak	Sergei Kazankow (TSHT Aşgabat) – 41
1993	Köpetdag Aşgabat	Büzmeýin	Nebitçi Balkanabat	Berdimyrat Nurmyradow (Köpetdag Aşgabat) – 25
1994	Köpetdag Aşgabat	Nisa Aşgabat	Merw Mary	Berdimyrat Nurmyradow (Köpetdag Aşgabat) – 13
1995	Köpetdag Aşgabat	Nisa Aşgabat	Nebitçi Nebit-Dag	Rejepmyrat Agabaýew (Nisa Aşgabat) – 41
1996	Nisa Aşgabat	Köpetdag Aşgabat	Ekskawatorçy Çärjew	Rejepmyrat Agabaýew (Nisa Aşgabat) – 28
1997–98	Köpetdag Aşgabat	Dagdan Aşgabat	Nisa Aşgabat	Rejepmyrat Agabaýew (Nisa Aşgabat) – 17
1998–99	Nisa Aşgabat	Köpetdag Aşgabat	Dagdan Aşgabat	Rejepmyrat Agabaýew (Nisa Aşgabat) – 16   Şarafutdin Jumanyýazow (Turan Daşoguz) – 16   Didargylyç Urazow (Nisa Aşgabat) – 16
2000	Köpetdag Aşgabat	Nebitçi Balkanabat	Nisa Aşgabat	Amandurdy Annadurdyýew (Köpetdag Aşgabat) – 13
2001	Nisa Aşgabat	Köpetdag Aşgabat	Nebitçi Balkanabat	Didargylyç Urazow (Nisa Aşgabat) – 32
2002	Şagadam Türkmenbaşy	Nisa Aşgabat	Garagum Turkmenabat	Rustam Sadykow (Şagadam Türkmenbaşy) – 20
2003	Nisa Aşgabat	Nebitçi Balkanabat	Şagadam Türkmenbaşy	Daýançgylyç Urazow (Nisa Aşgabat) – 21
2004	Nebitçi Balkanabat	Nisa Aşgabat	Merw Mary	Berdi Şamyradow (HTTU Aşgabat) – 19
2005	HTTU Aşgabat	Gazçy Gazojak	Nebitçi Balkanabat	Berdi Şamyradow (HTTU Aşgabat) – 30
2006	HTTU Aşgabat	Nebitçi Balkanabat	FC Aşgabat	Hamza Allamow (Turan Daşoguz) – 22
2007	FC Aşgabat	HTTU Aşgabat	Nebitçi Balkanabat	Berdi Şamyradow (HTTU Aşgabat) – 16
2008	FC Aşgabat	HTTU Aşgabat	Nebitçi Balkanabat	Mämmedaly Garadanow (HTTU Aşgabat) – 12   Berdi Şamyradow (HTTU Aşgabat) – 12
2009	HTTU Aşgabat	Nebitçi Balkanabat	Merw Mary	Berdi Şamyradow (HTTU Aşgabat) – 18
2010	FC Balkan	Altyn Asyr	FC Lebap	Berdi Şamyradow (HTTU Aşgabat) – 11
2011	FC Balkan	HTTU Aşgabat	FC Aşgabat	Mämmedaly Garadanow (HTTU Aşgabat) – 24
2012	FC Balkan	Merw	HTTU Aşgabat	Aleksandr Boliyan (Şagadam) – 23
2013	HTTU Aşgabat	FC Balkan	Altyn Asyr	Mämmedaly Garadanow (FC Balkan) – 26
2014	Altyn Asyr	Ahal	Şagadam	Mämmedaly Garadanow (Şagadam – 28)
2015	Altyn Asyr	FC Balkan	FC Aşgabat	Myrat Ýagşyýew (FC Balkan) – 31
2016	Altyn Asyr	FC Balkan	Energetik Türkmenbaşy	Süleýman Muhadow (Altyn Asyr) – 30
2017	Altyn Asyr	Ahal	Şagadam	Myrat Ýagşyýew (Altyn Asyr) – 28^[15]
2018	Altyn Asyr	Ahal	Energetik Türkmenbaşy	Altymyrat Annadurdyýew (Altyn Asyr) – 19
2019	Altyn Asyr	Ahal	Şagadam	Didar Durdyýew^[16] (Ahal) – 14
2020	Altyn Asyr	Ahal	Şagadam	Altymyrat Annadurdyýew (Altyn Asyr) – 35^[17]
2021	Altyn Asyr	Ahal	Şagadam	Elman Tagaýew (Ahal) – 10
2022	Ahal	Altyn Asyr	Merw	Didar Durdyýew (Ahal) – 27

Performance by club

Team	Champions	Runners-up	Third place
Altyn Asyr	8 (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)	2 (2010, 2022)	1 (2013)
Köpetdag Aşgabat	6 (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997–98, 2000)	3 (1996, 1998–99, 2001)	–
Nebitçi	4 (2004, 2010, 2011, 2012)	8 (1992, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016)	6 (1993, 1995, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008)
Nisa Aşgabat	4 (1996, 1998–99, 2001, 2003)	4 (1994, 1995, 2002, 2004)	2 (1997–98, 2000)
Ýedigen	4 (2005, 2006, 2009, 2013)	3 (2007, 2008, 2011)	1 (2012)
Aşgabat	2 (2007, 2008)	–	3 (2006, 2011, 2015)
Ahal	1 (2022)	6 (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)	1 (1992)
Şagadam	1 (2002)	–	6 (2003, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021)
Merw	–	1 (2012)	4 (1994, 2004, 2009, 2022)
Dagdan Aşgabat	–	1 (1997–98)	1 (1998–99)
Büzmeýin	–	1 (1993)	–
Gazçy Gazojak	–	1 (2005)	–
Bagtyyarlyk-Lebap	–	–	3 (1996, 2002, 2010)
Energetik Mary	–	–	2 (2016, 2018)

League participation

Note: The tallies below include up to the 2022 season. Teams denoted in bold are current participants.

• 30 seasons: Merw, Nebitçi
• 28 seasons: Şagadam
• 23 seasons: Turan
• 22 seasons: Ahal, Köpetdag Aşgabat
• 17 seasons: Aşgabat, Bagtyyarlyk-Lebap
• 15 seasons: Altyn Asyr
• 13 seasons: Ýedigen
• 12 seasons: Nisa Aşgabat
• 8 seasons: Energetik Mary
• 7 seasons: Talyp Sporty
• 6 seasons: Büzmeýin
• 3 seasons: Dagdan Aşgabat, Galkan Aşgabat, Gazçy Gazojak
• 2 seasons: Asudalyk Aşgabat, Balkan Nebitdag, Gara Altyn, Kolhozçy Türkmengala, TSHT Aşgabat
• 1 season: Arkaç Gyzylarbat, Babadayhan Babadayhansky Etrap, Bereket Tejen, Hazyna, Hlopkovik Çärjew, Jeýhun Seýdi, Pakhtachi Çärjew, SMM+ Karatamak, Umyt Baýramaly

Youth championship

The Youth League (Turkmen: Ýaşlar liga), also known as Youth teams championship (Turkmen: Ýaşlar arasyndaky birinjilik) full name Youth football championship of Turkmenisatn among teams of clubs of the Higher League (Turkmen: Ýokary liganyň futbol klublarynyň ýaşlar düzümleriniň gatnaşmagyndaky futbol boýunça Türkmenistanyň birinjiligi), is a league that runs in parallel to the Ýokary Liga and includes the youth or reserve teams of the Turkmenistan Higher League teams. The number of players a team can have on the pitch at a time that are over 21 years of age or without a Turkmenistan citizenship is limited. 8 teams participate in the league.^[18] Matches are commonly played a day before the match of the senior teams of the respective teams.

Youth championship winners (since 2019)

• 2019: FC Altyn Asyr-2 ^[19]
• 2020: FC Altyn Asyr-2
• 2021: FC Altyn Asyr-2
• 2022: FC Altyn Asyr-2^[20]

References

1. [1]
2. 30-njy futbol çempionatymyz
3. Определились все участники клубных турниров АФК от Туркменистана в сезоне-2023/2024
4. Завершился чемпионат Туркменистана по футболу сезона-20222
5. Футбольный клуб «Ахал» впервые в истории стал чемпионом Туркменистана
6. [2]
7. [3]
8. [4]
9. Футбольный клуб «Аркадаг» включили в состав Федерации футбола Туркменистана
10. [5]
11. [6]
12. [7]
13. [8]
14. "Turkmenistan – List of Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
15. Федерация Футбола Туркменистана подвела итоги 2017 года
16. Нападающий «Ахала» Дидар Дурдыев стал лучшим бомбардиром чемпионата Туркменистана-2019
17. . tff.com.tm/. Football Federation of Turkmenistan. Archived from the original on 25 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
18. [9]
19. [10]
20. [11]

External links

• Current Yokary Liga table and results at Soccerway