Defending champion Kairat defeated league leader Ordabasy 2:1 at home, swapping places in the standings. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The poster for one of the key matches in the KPL-2026 gold race filled the stands of Almaty Central Stadium to capacity. FC Ordabasy organized 11 buses for its fans. Both teams had hot support.
Kairat, due to the calendar playing this important match between Champions League qualifiers, needed to win. A draw would have suited the Shymkent side, while a victory would have paved the way to the championship title by 90 percent.
The match started without reconnaissance. In the 14th minute, Spanish Kairat player Mark Gual, after a cross from the left flank by Portuguese Luis Mata, shot from close range into the visitors' goal – 1:0. In the 30th minute, a shot by the same Gual missed the post by centimeters.
At the end of the first half, Andrey Martin's charges increased pressure, creating several dangerous situations at Temirlan Anarbekov's goal. Sergei Malyi, in particular, hit the crossbar with a header. However, referee Daniyar Sakhi had called a foul in attack a moment earlier.
After the break, the visitors' attempts to equalize continued. In the 65th minute, Norwegian Bjorn Johnsen missed a real chance to extend his scoring streak to six matches. Five minutes later, a powerful shot by Frenchman Tidiane Keita whistled over the hosts' crossbar. Anarbekov saved his teammates in several situations.
In the 87th minute, Finn Oiva Yukkonen, who replaced the injured Jorginho at the start of the match, fired accurately from outside the box – 2:0. Johnsen did not leave the field without a goal. In stoppage time, the Scandinavian scored his routine goal from a sharp angle.
Having secured a hard-fought 2:1 victory, Rafael Urazbakhtin's charges overtook Shymkent in the table but still trail the main rivals by one point in terms of dropped points. However, Ordabasy still needs to win their game in hand.
⚽ KAIRAT (Almaty) – ORDABASY (Shymkent) 2:1 (1:0). Goals: Gual 14 (1:0), Yukkola 87 (2:0), Johnsen 90+2 (2:1)
⚽ ASTANA – ALTAI (Ust-Kamenogorsk) 4:1 (2:1). Goals: Islamkhan 8 (1:0), Dadaev 12 (1:1), Tomasov 34 (2:1), Karimov 60 (3:1), Basmanov 62 (4:1)
⚽ ELIMAI (Semey) – KAISAR (Kyzylorda) 1:1 (1:0). Goals: Bakhtiyarov 45+2 (1:0), Igor Gabriel 74 own goal (1:1). Sent off: Murtazaev (E, 70)
⚽ TOBOL (Kostanay) – ATYRAU 1:0 (1:0). Goal: Milovanovic 26. Sent off: Satanov (A, 87)
⚽ CASPIAN (Aktau) – ZHENIS (Astana) 3:2 (2:1). Goals: Nabikhanov 9 (1:0), Martins 22 (1:1), Amaral 30 (2:1), Abylaikhan 52 (3:1), Tursynbay 90 (3:2). Missed penalty: Umaev (C, 82) saved. Sent off: Kuat 67, Sharavanya 80 (both – Zh)
⚽ ULYTAU (Zhezkazgan) – IRTYSH (Pavlodar) 1:2 (1:2). Goals: Evtic 17 (0:1), Martin 38 (1:1), Poe 45+1 (1:2)
⚽ ZHETYSU (Taldykorgan) – KYZYLZHAR (Petropavlovsk) 1:2 (0:0). Goals: Noyok 57 (0:1), Anuarbekov 71 (1:1), Baoken 82 (1:2). Sent off: Sokolenko (K, 61)
⚽ AKTOBE – OKZHETPES (Kokshetau) 2:1 (2:1). Goals: Atanasov 5 (1:0), Erlanov 22 (2:0), Umarov 45 (2:1)
Astana, defeating Altai 2:1 at home, rose to third place. In the 8th minute, Bauyrzhan Islamkhan reminded of himself with a magnificent shot from outside the box – 1:0. Just 4 minutes later, Montenegrin Dragan Stoisavljevic sent Ibrahim Dadaev on a rendezvous with Mukhammedzhan Seisen, and the Ust-Kamenogorsk midfielder did not miss – 1:1.
Then Marin Tomasov supported Islamkhan's initiative. The hosts' captain executed a free kick so skillfully that Ukrainian goalkeeper Danilo Kucher had no chance to save his team. At the hour mark, Ramazan Karimov and Stanislav Basmanov each scored again. Winning 4:1, Astana pushed Aktobe out of the top three, who had beaten Okzhetpes the day before.
Matches of the 20th round will take place next weekend. On August 1, matches Irtysh – Caspian, Kyzylzhar – Aktobe, and Atyrau – Zhetysu will be held. On August 2, games Ordabasy – Tobol, Ulytau – Astana, Okzhetpes – Altai, and Zhenis – Elimai are scheduled.
Kaisar and Kairat played their 20th-round match back on May 6. The Almaty side won in Kyzylorda – 2:1.