Kazakhstan champions Kairat snatched a 1-0 victory over underdogs Zhetysu in the dying minutes of their home match in Round 28 of the 2026 KPL. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
On Thursday, October 15, the Almaty club will kick off their main Conference League campaign with an away match against Riga. The home game against Zhetysu served as a dress rehearsal for the European autumn. Both teams desperately needed points: Kairat in the title race, Taldykorgan in the relegation battle.
Kairat Nurdaulenov's charges, facing major financial difficulties, successfully held the draw and the point it brought for 86 minutes. However, in the 87th minute, a long-range strike from Spanish Kairat player Marc Gual found the target – 1-0.
Having won with great difficulty, Rafael Urazbakhtin's men closed in on Ordabasy, but the Shymkent side has a game in hand.
The fight for European qualification spots continues. Astana, the bronze favorite, lost in Kostanay – 1-2. A goal from Croatian Karlo Bartolec, who equalized early in the second half, was not enough for a draw. Moroccan Mohamed Amin Talal and Belarusian Vitaliy Lisakovich brought Tobol another victory over a Top-3 team. Earlier, Kairat suffered a heavy defeat against Miroslav Romashchenko's side.
⚽ IRTYSH (Pavlodar) – KYZYLZHAR (Petropavlovsk) 0-2 (0-1). Goals: Abiken 9 (0-1), Latifi 71 penalty (0-2)
⚽ ELIMAI (Semey) – AKTOBE 1-3 (0-1). Goals: Yerlanov 15 (0-1), Ojo 49 (0-2), Kairov 83 own goal (1-2), Shushenachev 89 (1-3)
⚽ TOBOL (Kostanay) – ASTANA 2-1 (1-0). Goals: Talal 28 (1-0), Bartolec 52 (1-1), Lisakovich 61 (2-1)
⚽ KAIRAT (Almaty) – ZHETYSU (Taldykorgan) 1-0 (0-0). Goal: Gual 87. Sent off: Kashken (Z, 90)
⚽ ZHENIS (Astana) – ATYRAU will finish later
Aktobe, joining the bronze race, secured an important victory over Elimai – 3-1. All goals in Semey were scored by Aktobe players. Temirlan Yerlanov, Englishman Sheyi Ojo and Artur Shushenachev into the opposition net, Bagdat Kairov into his own.
Kyzylzhar, thanks to Aibol Abiken and Albanian Laridon Latifi, won in Pavlodar and practically secured a spot in the 2027 KPL. The relegation battle for Vitaliy Zhukovsky's team is essentially over.
Round 28 will conclude tomorrow with matches Kaisar – Ordabasy, Ulytau – Okzhetpes and Kaspiy – Altai.