AFC Challenge Cup 2012: Palestine Vs Turkmenistan Pre Match Preview

Group: A

Match: Palestine vs Turkmenistan
Venue: Halchowk Stadium
Time: 3:00 PM NST

 Click here to get Live streaming Video of Palestine Vs Turkmenistan

PROBABLE LINE-UPS


PALESTINE






Saleh;
Abu Jazar, Abusalah, Mahdi, Harbi;
Said, Yusuf Mohammed, Ashraf Nu'man, Wadi;
Attal, Atya


TURKMENISTAN





Alyhanov;
Annaorazov, Choliyev, Soyunov, Atayev;
Umidjan, Sarkisov, Mingazov, Rahimberdy;
Shamuradov, Amanov

Palestine and Turkmenistan are playing for the first time in International football! Palestine and Turkmenistan; both of them registered first victory in the AFC Challenge Cup, will be gunning for a win to secure semifinals berth in the Championship. 

Green man

Palestine defeated hosts Nepal 2-0 while Green Men registered 3-1 victory over Maldives. 

Turkmenistan will be missing the services of talented prodgy Wahyt Orazsahedow, and Ruslan Mingazov as both of them are stuck in the peak of the European season and have not been able to secure a release from their clubs, Rubin Kazan and FC Skonto respectively. Bahtiyar Hojjahmedov and Gauvanch Hangeldiyev are available for the Green Men after missing the match against Maldives due to suspension.

Palestine are still without a number of key players, including Raed Fares, Rafat Eyad, Omar Jarun, Ismail Amour, Ahmed Keshkesh and Murad Alyan with a cumulatoin of reasons such as injuries (Fares, Amour and Eyad) failures to get work permit (Jarum), dissaproval from the coach (Keshkesh and Alyan). But the team should get some respite with the return of Abdallatif Al Bahdari and Ahmed Harbi in defence.

The fact that both Turkmenistan and Palestine have won their opening matches sets up for a very interesting Group A encounter. With coach Jamal Mahmoud clearly outlining that first-timers Palestine were in it to win it, their 0-2 win over Nepal proved a point to doubters. 

Palestine Team

Turkmenistan, on the other hand, are regular contenders, even though they are perennial minnows. With a disappointing build up to the Challenge Cup, the Green Men will have been relieved to have dispatched strong opponents in Maldives with a 3-1 victory. Although Maldives was without their suspended captain and star striker Ali Ashfaq, such details will have no bearing on the final score. And as it stands, Turkmenistan are topping the group on goals scored.

So to add a bit more spice to this already mouth-watering encounter, we have the two teams slugging it out for top spot in the group, separated only by that extra goal scored by Turkmenistan.

Coach Views:

Coach Jamal Mahmoud said, ""We started our preparation for the Turkmenistan match right after the final whistle against Nepal," said Palestine Jordanian coach Jamal Mahmoud. "

"We are looking forward to win the match," Mahmoud added. 

On the other hand, Turks Coach Yazguly Hojageldiyev thinks that the fight against Palestine will be a tough one. 

"I know they are a good side and we must prepare to face the challenge, I am expecting a tough match on Saturday," he said.

Facts About Opponents:

• Fahed Attal's goal against Maldives was his first international goal since 2006, bringing his tally to thirteen, still the second highest in the country behind the 15 of Ziyad Al-Kord.

• Turkmenistan are the lowest ranked team in the tournament. But they were a whisker away from winning it last year, losing to North Korea in the finals.

• This is will be Khaled Mahmoud's 10th match in charge. His win percentage currently stands at an incredible 66.67%

• This will be the first meeting of the two sides in the short history of the Challenge Cup.

Last five encounter of Opponents:

Last Five Matches

Palestine
08-Mar-2012	Nepal 0 - Palestine 2	ACC
29-Feb-2012	Palestine 2 - Azerbaijan 0	FR
22-Dec-2011	Kuwait 3 - Palestine 0	AG
20-Dec-2011	Bahrain 3 - Palestine 1	AG
28-Jul-2011	Palestine 2 - Thailand 2	WCQA

Turkmenistan
08-Mar-2012	Turkmenistan 3 - Maldives 1	ACC
28-Jul-2011	Indonesia 4 -Turkmenistan 3	WCQA
23-Jul-2011	Turkmenistan 1 - Indonesia 1	WCQA
27-Feb-2010	Turkmenistan 5- Korea DPR 6	ACC
24-Feb-2010	Tajikistan 0 - Turkmenistan 0	ACC