Drama until the final second: how Kazakhstan battled Wales in Astana

Tengrinews.kz – The Kazakhstan national football team suffered a narrow and painful 0:1 home defeat to Wales. Tengrinews.kz shows how it all unfolded.

Many fans responded to calls from the authorities and capital police and arrived early at Astana Arena.

A spirit of patriotism filled the stadium even before kickoff.

The teams took to the field — the national anthems were played.

Naturally, the entire arena sang Kazakhstan’s anthem together with the national team players.

The first half began cautiously and slowly, with both sides feeling each other out.

Famous young star Dastan Satpayev was, unfortunately, not as brilliant as usual in this match.

The crowd reacted to every move of the winger, sighing whenever the young talent lost the ball.

Ultimately, the game was decided by a set piece — after a free-kick in the 24th minute, Wales scored and held the lead until the final whistle.

The visiting fans celebrated the goal with joy. Despite the long trip, around a thousand Welsh fans made their way to Kazakhstan’s capital.

Galymzhan Kenzhebek put consistent pressure on Wales throughout his 60 minutes on the pitch. His dangerous runs and shots were among Kazakhstan’s best chances.

Kazakhstan nearly equalized in the final seconds — Serikzhan Muzhikov blasted a dangerous free-kick that hit the crossbar, the ball deflected out of play, and the referee blew the final whistle.

As a reminder, Kazakhstan and Wales first met in March in Cardiff in the first round of the qualifiers. Wales had a clear advantage and won confidently 3:1.

It’s worth noting that on September 7, Ali Aliev’s team will play an away match against Belgium.

All photos in the article: Tengrinews.kz / Marzhan Kuandykova.