Former captain and defender of Andijan and Alay, Ildar Mamatkazin, named Turkmenistan forward Artur Gevorkyan as the strongest footballer he ever played alongside. Speaking to Eurasia Football, the 37-year-old former player emphasized that Gevorkyan stood out among all his teammates due to his skill, intelligence, and impact on the game.

Mamatkazin and Gevorkyan previously played together for Uzbekistan’s Nasaf club. During a rapid-fire interview segment, when asked to name the best teammate of his career, Mamatkazin answered without hesitation: “Artur Gevorkyan from Nasaf.”

As for the toughest opponent he faced, the defender highlighted legendary Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o, recalling a match against Anzhi where he had the opportunity to play against the world-renowned forward.

Artur Gevorkyan was born on November 22, 1984, in Ashgabat and is a native of Turkmenistan. Throughout his career, he represented several clubs in Turkmenistan, including Nusay, Shagadam, and Ashgabat, as well as teams in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan such as Esil-Bogatyr, Shurtan, Pakhtakor, Nasaf, Lokomotiv, and Kyzylkum.

His most notable achievements came with Nasaf, where he won the AFC Cup in 2011 and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. In 2013 and 2014, he was recognized as the best foreign player and MVP of the Uzbek league, also finishing as the top scorer. He later served as Nasaf’s captain.

Gevorkyan also played for the national team of Turkmenistan, scoring twice on his debut against Cambodia in 2007. During the qualification campaign for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he netted a penalty against Oman. In total, he earned 16 caps and scored 3 goals for Turkmenistan. He additionally represented Turkmenistan in the 2006 AFC Futsal Championship.