Kairat Almany is a dangerous opponent, Celtic will have to be at our best | OneFootball

Kairat Almaty, a club we know very little about but they must be respected by Celtic as a worthy opponent who have earned their place in the playoff tie the hard way…

Players of Kairat celebrate during third qualifying round of UEFA Champions League football match between SK Slovan Bratislava and Kairat Almaty. Bratislava, Slovakia, August 12, 2025. IMAGO / Branislav Racko

Wednesday night will sees us take on Kazakh side Kairat Almaty, with a place amongst Europe’s elite at stake. Without sounding disrespectful they’re a side we know very little about, on and off the park so a bit of research on the club is needed to develop a better understanding of the side who stand between us and at least eight games in Europe’s premier club competition.

Some background to Kairat’s history

Kairat who are based in Almaty the largest city in Kazakhstan were formed in 1954 as Locomotiv Alma – Ata before being introduced as FC Kairat and the ‘nations team’ due to league expansion of the Soviet top league with Soviet Republics being granted the admission of one team, with Kairat representing the Kazakhstan Republic as it was known before going its own way after being granted full independence from the USSR in 1991.

Jorginho of Kairat celebrates during third qualifying round of UEFA Champions League football match between SK Slovan Bratislava and Kairat Almaty. Bratislava, Slovakia, August 12, 2025. IMAGO / Branislav Racko

Kairat’s main rivals FC Astana, a club Celtic know well after facing them twice in the last decade, are viewed as the leading Kazakh side, but Kairat are viewed as the best supported club in the country due to their popularity after representing the nation in the Soviet top league for many years.

Halyq Komandasy (team of the nation) have been part of the Kazakhstani top league since its inception in 1992. Despite failing to have made any sort of progress in Europe, their record on the domestic scene is pretty decent.

Kairat have a reputation as a club used to winning

Kairat have been crowned champions on four occasions, 1992, 2004, 2020, and 2024 and are currently doing well in defending their title as they sit top three points clear of rivals Astana albeit having played two games more. They have also won the national cup on a record ten occasions, so they are certainly a club who have a reputation for winning honours.

Rafael Urazbakhtin, Head Coach of FC Kairat looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 first qualifying round first leg match between Olimpija and Kairat Almaty at Stadion Stozice on July 08, 2025 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. (Photo by Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images)

They currently boast an array of players with great experience and proven internationals such as the 82 times capped Belarusian centre back Alyaksandr Martynovich. Israeli internationalists Dan Glazer, and Ofri Arad also bolster their ranks, whilst experienced Brazilian Joao Paulo is one of their main attacking threats as is Portuguese forward Jorginho, with the pick of the bunch being 17 year old wonder kid Dastan Satpayev who is seen as the clubs, and indeed Kazakhstans biggest up and coming talent.

Chelsea bound Satpayev  is already a full international

Chelsea bound Satpayev who is already a full international is described as a talented goal scoring centre forward who is comfortable with the ball at his feet, and his three goals in five European appearances suggest he’s a player we will have to monitor very closely.

Ljubljana, Slovenia, July 8th 2025: Egor Sorokin of Kairat Almaty C in action against Marko Brest of Olimpija Ljubljana CD during the UEFA Champions League, First qualifying round, 1st leg, match between Olimpija Ljubljana and Kairat Almaty at Stadium Stozice, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Natasa Kupljenik / SPP RAxMEX Photo: Natasa Kupljenik/SPP

We might know much about them, but like our own club they boast a proud heritage and will be determined to write a new chapter in that history. We are very capable of overcoming them, but must give them the respect they fully deserve.

Rafael Urazbakhtin accusing his players of conceding ‘childish goals

Their intense travelling schedule over the past month to make it through to the match at Celtic Park could be a factor that Celtic can exploit, there certainly were signs of that at the weekend when they surrendered a 2-0 lead to lose three second half goals to Yelimay Semey that had their manager Rafael Urazbakhtin accusing his players of conceding ‘childish goals‘ – and that’s before they take another 3500 mile trip to Europe, this time to Glasgow to take on the finest team in Scotland.

Just an Ordinary Bhoy

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