The Turkmenistan U-20 national football team, led by head coach Didar Hajiyev, has begun preparations for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. The team is holding a training camp in Thailand, according to the news website Turkmenportal.
The qualifying tournament kicks off on 31 August. In the qualifying stage, the 31 teams are divided into eight groups: the group winners, as well as the seven best runners-up, will qualify for the finals. Thus, 15 teams will share places in the finals with the tournament hosts, the Chinese national team.
Turkmenistan will compete in Group F alongside Iraq, Thailand and the UAE. The matches will take place in Chonburi (Thailand):
31 August – Iraq vs Turkmenistan, 13:30
3 September – Turkmenistan vs Thailand, 17:30
6 September – UAE vs Turkmenistan, 13:30
The Turkmenistan Under-20s played their last friendly in May 2026 at the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA-2026) Under-20 tournament, hosted by Tajikistan. The Turkmen players beat Afghanistan 3–1 but lost to Tajikistan 1–2, Kyrgyzstan 1–2 and Uzbekistan 0–2, finishing fourth overall.
The final stage of the 2027 AFC U-20 Asian Cup will take place in the Chinese city of Hangzhou from 24 March to 10 April.