Almaty’s Kairat Football Club has secured its second consecutive Kazakhstan Premier League (KPL) championship. The decisive goal in the final match was scored by Kazakhstan national team striker Dastan Satpaev, currently on contract with London’s Chelsea.
Last year, Kairat won the national championship for the fourth time in its history. This summer, the club qualified for the UEFA Champions’ League group stage for the first time, intensifying pressure on the team as it competed simultaneously in both domestic and European tournaments. Entering the final round, Kairat held a narrow two-point lead over its closest challenger, FC Astana. Fittingly, the season concluded with a high-stakes home match against the capital’s team.
The match took place on Sunday, October 26. Despite Kairat’s territorial dominance, Astana struck first, 38-year-old midfielder Marin Tomasov scored in the 15th minute with a well-placed shot from the penalty area. The visitors threatened further, but Kairat goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov delivered several crucial saves to keep the deficit at one.
In the second half, Satpaev, who will join Chelsea after he turns 18, scored the equalizer, making it 1-1. The draw was enough to keep Kairat ahead in the standings, two points clear of Astana, and clinch the club’s fifth national title. Tomasov nearly scored a second goal during stoppage time, but his shot struck the crossbar.
With this result, Kairat became only the seventh club in KPL history to successfully defend its title. The league’s record for consecutive championships belongs to Astana, who won six straight from 2014 to 2019. Aktobe followed with a three-peat (2007–2009), while Yelimay (1994-1995), Zhenis (2000-2001), Irtysh (2002-2003), and Shakhtar Karagandy (2011-2012) each managed two. Between 2020 and 2024, no team had retained the championship, until now.
“There were certainly difficulties during the season, primarily the struggle on several fronts,” said Kairat head coach Rafael Urazbakhtin after the match.
He noted that frequent squad rotation, a demanding schedule, and long-distance travel forced the coaching staff to carefully manage the squad’s physical condition.
“Over time, the team adapted to the rhythm of two or three matches a week. Endurance and teamwork became key factors,” he added.
Kairat’s attention now shifts back to the Champions League, where the club sits in last place in its group with one point from three matches. The next fixture is on November 5 in Milan against second-placed Inter.
As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kairat’s Champions League breakthrough was made possible in part by Anarbekov’s standout performance in a penalty shootout victory over Scotland’s Celtic.
