Karaganda's Shakhter defeated Yelimay-M in Semey with a score of 3:0 and secured a spot in the KPL ahead of schedule after the 20th round of the First League. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

For Shakhter, this season has been special: the team was sent to the First League for the first time in its history. Now they return to the elite, stronger and with prospects. Andrei Finonchenko's team won their 13th consecutive victory and solved the main task. However, the team will undoubtedly do everything to win the small gold medals.

It is clear that in the future season the team will need to strengthen. The example of Kairat, which broke into the Champions League and failed in the next draw without proper reinforcement, is before our eyes. Still, the core of the orange-and-blacks is there. And that is obvious.

Symbolically, the league's top scorer Artem Litosh scored a goal in Semey. Starting the match on the bench, the 21-year-old forward came on as a substitute in the second half and scored his 19th goal in his 19th match of the tournament within five minutes.

All results of the 20th round

⚽ AKTOBE-M – ZHAIYK (Uralsk) 1:0 (0:0). Goal: Begimov 53 penalty

⚽ TARAZ – TOBOL-M (Kostanay) 3:1 (2:0). Goals: Zhumabek 36 (1:0), Lesbek 45+1 (2:0), Bakitzhanov 48 (2:1), Baitana 82 (3:1)

⚽ KHAN-TENGRI (Almaty) – ASTANA-M 3:0 (2:0). Goals: Abdullaev 21 (1:0), Medelkhan 40 (2:0), Medelkhan 55 (3:0)

⚽ YELIMAY-M (Semey) – SHAKHTER (Karaganda) 0:3 (0:2). Goals: Ulshin 37 (0:1), Kagazbaev 45 (0:2), Litosh 70 (0:3)

⚽ KAIRAT-ZHASTAR (Almaty) – ARYS 1:0 (1:0). Goal: Makhametzhan 32 penalty

⚽ BATYR (Ekibastuz) – TURAN (Turkestan) 2:4 (0:1). Goals: Duisenbekuly 34 (0:1), Mukhit 61 (1:1), Oralbai 68 (1:2), Al-Haj 74 (2:2), Baktybai 81 (2:3), Oralbai 87 (2:4)

⚽ CASPIY-M (Aktau) – ACADEMY ONTUSTIK (Shymkent) 1:2 (0:2). Goals: Dzhamalov 8 (0:1), Dzhamalov 45+1 (0:2), Armenov 67 (1:2)

Highlights of the round

Brussels experiments with the coaching staff of the main Kairat forced Kairat-Zhastar to resort to significant rotation. In the home match against Arys, Zhora Arutyunyan's team managed only one goal. And that was from a penalty. Karim Makhametzhan converted the undisputed penalty.

Turan, also striving for the KPL, won an important victory. Batyr in Ekibastuz twice caught up with the daring guests, but in the end the Turkestan team was unstoppable. Yedige Oralbai scored a brace.

The double was not the only one in the round. The "academics" from Shymkent won away against Caspiy 2:1 thanks to two goals from Bakir Dzhamalov. The second goal of the 20-year-old forward was especially beautiful, scored with a curling shot directly from a corner.

Darkhan Medelkhan from Khan-Tengri scored twice against the capital's youth team. Almaty won 3:0.

The 21st round of the First League will take place on September 3 and 4.