The 16th round of Kazakhstan's second-tier football league saw a change at the top. Kairat-Zhastar, dropping points at home against Zhaik, allowed Shakhter to overtake them after the Karaganda side won away at Tobol-M. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Until the 75th minute in Almaty, the young Kairat players confidently led the game against Zhaik from Uralsk, winning 2:0. Yevgeny Petrik in the 2nd minute and Amirbek Bazarbayev in the 13th gave Zhora Arutyunyan's charges a comfortable advantage.
Everything changed in the closing stages. First, Chingiz Kubashev, capitalizing on Sherkhan Kalmurza's mistake, tapped the ball into the net after a free kick. Then, in the last minute, an unfortunate ricochet off Raimbek Kenesbekov led to a second goal for the hosts – 2:2.
All results of round 16
⚽ KAIRAT-ZHASTAR (Almaty) – ZHAIK (Uralsk) 2:2 (2:0). Goals: Petrik 2 (1:0), Bazarbayev 13 (2:0), Kubashev 75 (2:1), Kenesbekov 90 (2:2)
⚽ TOBOL-M (Kostanay) – SHAKHTER (Karaganda) 0:2 (0:1). Goals: Litos 43 (0:1), Kalybayev 86 (0:2)
⚽ ASTANA-M – ARYS 2:0 (2:0). Goals: Kaltanov 20 (1:0), Zheksenbek 30 (2:0)
⚽ BATYR (Ekibastuz) – ELIMAI-M (Semey) 2:1 (1:0). Goals: Mukhit 39 (1:0), Mukhit 56 (2:0), Nuradilov 79 (2:1)
⚽ CASPIY-M (Aktau) – AKTOBE-M 6:1 (2:0). Goals: Tazhikenov 10 (1:0), Armenov 28 (2:0), Arystanov 50 (2:1), Chinzhirbekov 56 (3:1), Abdulla 58 (4:1), Oryngaliyev 87 (5:1), Armenov 90+2 (6:1)
⚽ TARAZ – ACADEMY ONTUSTIK (Shymkent) 2:1 (1:0). Goals: Mukanbetzhanov 11 (1:0), Ali 48 (1:1), Zhumabek 74 (2:1)
⚽ KHAN-TENGRI (Almaty) – TURAN (Turkestan) 0:1 (0:0). Goal: Murzagaliyev 57
Kairat-Zhastar lost their fourth point in the championship, and Shakhter immediately took advantage. The Karaganda team's match in the Kostanay arena started later. Knowing the result of the game in Almaty, Andrei Finonchenko's boys did everything possible to win.
Before the break, the league's top scorer Artyom Litos opened the scoring, and at the end of the match Dias Kalybayev scored the second goal – 2:0. With their 14th victory in the tournament, Shakhter moved to first place. The coveted ticket to the elite division is getting closer.
Turan is seriously vying for the second vacancy in KPL-2027, having beaten Khan-Tengri in Almaty 1:0 thanks to a goal by Temirlan Murzagaliyev.
The 17th round of the First League is scheduled for August 6 and 7.