A mild night in the Jetisu region of Kazakhstan produced one of the most remarkable stories in football from the last decade. The once capital city of Kazakhstan, Almaty, brought fever dreams to life with the performance of the football club, Kairat. A nation with a league ranked 34th in the UEFA Coefficient rankings has produced an incredible feat by reaching the Champions League, League Phase.

This is not the first time a Kazakhstan side has reached the promised land. FC Astana appeared in the Champions League in the 2015-16 season, although they did not progress past the group stage. Historically, Astana are the most successful team in Kazakhstan, winning the title on seven occasions.

Last season, Kairat beat Astana to the title by a solitary point to book their place in the qualification rounds for the Champions League. The only allocated place for the Kazakhstan side. The journey from this moment is very long for a side for such a low-coefficient nation. For Kairat to qualify for the League Phase, they would have to play four, two-legged games against opposition who have regularly taken part in the process and against teams who have reached the League Phase, and in one case, play a team who have won the Champions League.

The Start Of The Journey

First on the radar of Kairat were Slovenian giants Olimpija Ljubljana. The biggest club in Slovenia. Many would suggest a tightly fought battle between the two, with the Slovenian’s slight favourites to come through the tie. Kairat ignored this script. A 1-1 draw in Ljubljana offered a comfortable springboard for Kairat to win the return leg on home turf. The Slovenian’s came to the 23,000 seater stadium, the Central Stadium, with hopes of stealing a win; however, Kairat proved too strong and came away with a comfortable 2-0 victory, granting passage to the second qualifying round.

Kairat Almaty

A different challenge awaited the Kazakhstan champions. A tie with Finnish side Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS). Instantly, Kairat was staring in the eyes of defeat. A 2-0 loss in Finland left a mountain to climb. A mountain that was not unclimbable. Kairat welcomed their Finnish opponents to Almaty, and the performance of a lifetime awaited them. Kairat stormed into a 3-0 lead in the first half; however, a red card to Giorgi Zaria in first-half stoppage time made the task that much more difficult. A resilient performance and a defensive masterclass saw Kairat hold their 3-0 lead and progress to the third qualifying round, winning the tie 3-2.

The next round saw Kairat face off against the Slovakian side, Slovak Bratislava. Another monumental task for the team from Almaty. First leg in Almaty was a tight affair, and with Bratislava down to 10 men from the 65th minute, it was looking positive for Kairat. Bratislava tried to shut the door from that moment, and they almost succeeded until they gave away a 90th-minute penalty in which Satpayev converted to give the Kazakhstan side a slender 1-0 lead going into the second leg.

Could the upset be on the cards? With Bratislava taking a 1-0 lead in the first half, the atmosphere became tense. The Slovakian side could not find a second goal, and the tie went to penalties. The football gods looked down on Almaty, and Kairat came through the tie, winning 4-3 on penalties. In the aftermath, Vladimir Weiss was then sent off, giving an ugly end to the story of the night.

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The Biggest Night In The Club’s History

One more step to make the Champions League. Failure in the play-off round ensures safe passage to the Europa League, but Kairat hadn’t come this far to settle for the secondary competition. Their opponents? 1966 Champions League winner, Celtic. A challenge which Kairat has never faced before. Could they upset the apple cart and make history in the process?

The first leg was at Celtic Park, and a resilient Kairat performance survived the journey, escaping with a 0-0 draw. Now, with home advantage, could they capitalise? Well, sort of. Kairat welcomed Celtic to their home, but they were not there for a participation medal. The game consisted of very few clear-cut chances. 2nd choice goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov became inspired throughout extra time, producing a string of top-drawer saves. Anarbekov took this inspiration into the shootout after the game once again ended 0-0. Three saves in the shootout saw Kairat win the tie on penalties, sending the giants of Celtic packing and into the Europa League.

Potential Challenges For Opposing Teams

For just the second time, a Kazakhstan side has reached the Champions League. This now poses real travel implications for the rest of the Champions League teams. Kairat, playing out of Almaty, became the most eastern club to ever play in the UEFA Champions League. Almaty is located so far east that it is actually more easterly than Mumbai in India, Islamabad in Pakistan, and Kashgar in China.

Just recently, Chelsea played in Almaty when Astana played a conference league game at the Central Stadium. The standout figure of this was the journey. London to Almaty is 3,500 miles. A journey nobody wants to undertake.

What can we expect from Kairat? Home form will be vital for Kairat; if they can steal a few points from visiting teams, they will put themselves in a strong position to progress out of the League Phase. If they do so, then the weather can play a big part in their success. In the early months of the year, post League Phase, the weather in eastern Kazakhstan takes a turn. Averaging -5C, which will cause incredible difficulties for western European clubs who regularly play in warmer climates. In extreme cases, it has been reported that the weather can get to -30.

Whatever happens in the League Phase, history has already been made. Can this Kazakhstan side produce any more upsets? Maybe, but maybe not. However, they will be a team to look out for.

Written and Researched by BSc Cavan Campbell

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