Football has resumed in Turkmenistan with spectators as the Central Asian nation lifted a suspension of its national league.
Around 500 people attended Sunday’s game between Altyn Asyr and Kopetdag in a 20,000-capacity stadium in the capital, Ashgabat. It was the first fixture played in the Yokary Liga since March 20.
The crowd size was broadly in line with typical domestic league games in Turkmenistan and, as usual, attendance was free. The game ended 1-1.
The eight-team league was suspended on March 24 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Turkmenistan is one of the few countries in the world which have not reported any cases of the new coronavirus.
Professional football is being played in only a small number of countries, too. The ex-Soviet nations of Belarus and Tajikistan are among the holdouts, along with Taiwan and Nicaragua. Those leagues have attracted extra attention from foreign fans craving games to watch.
