Founded in 1954, Kairat Almaty is one of the best-known and most successful clubs in Kazakhstan, the ninth-largest country in the world. Based in the country’s largest city, more than 5,000 kilometres from Brussels, the Yellow and Blacks have established themselves as a force in Kazakh football and recently took another major step on the European stage.
Kairat’s history began during the Soviet era, under the name Lokomotiv. In 1956, the club officially adopted the name Kairat. It quickly became the main representative of Kazakh football in the former USSR. In 1960, Kairat even became the first Kazakh club to play in the Soviet top division, establishing itself as a true institution in the country’s football history.
Following Kazakhstan’s independence in 1991, Kairat Almaty became one of the leading clubs in the new national championship. In 1992, the club immediately won its first league title, but then had to wait until 2004 to lift the trophy again. Since then, Kairat has enjoyed another period of dominance, winning titles in 2020, 2024 and 2025. The club now boasts five league titles and ten domestic cups.
Kairat Almaty was a regular participant in the qualifying rounds of European competitions for many years, but wrote one of the finest chapters in its history during the recent 2025-2026 season. After eliminating Olimpija Ljubljana, KuPS and Slovan Bratislava, the Kazakh side faced Celtic Glasgow in the Champions League play-offs.
After two goalless matches, the tie was decided on penalties. Kairat prevailed 3-2 and qualified for the Champions League league phase for the first time in its history. It became only the second Kazakh club to reach this stage of the competition, after FK Astana, the club from the country’s new capital.
That qualification earned Kairat Almaty prestigious fixtures against European giants such as Arsenal, Inter and Real Madrid. Although the club collected just one point from eight matches, its status has changed. Kairat is no longer just a strong Central Asian club, but a team that has gained experience at the very highest level of European football.
Kairat is known for its strong connection with the people. Its nickname, Halyq Komandasy, therefore fittingly means “the people’s team”. Alongside an international squad featuring players from Brazil, Portugal, Finland and Spain, the club also places a strong emphasis on developing local talent. One of those talents was Dastan Satpaev, who recently earned a move to English giants Chelsea FC.
The Kazakh championship is played over a calendar year, with Kairat Almaty the reigning champions from 2025. After eliminating Montenegro’s Sutjeska and Cyprus’ Omonia Nicosia (on penalties) in the Champions League qualifiers, our opponents were moved into the Europa League after losing both legs (1-0 and 0-1) against Bulgarian side Levski Sofia.
The Mauves now face a long flight of around ten hours to take on the second-placed team in the Kazakh championship. After 22 matches, Kairat sit four points behind leaders Ordabasy, who have played one game more. At the same time, they have a nine-point lead over Astana, the country’s record champions with seven titles. The Kazakhs will therefore certainly have plenty of match rhythm going into Thursday’s game.
The first leg kicks off this Thursday at 5pm Belgian time (8pm local time). The match will be broadcast live and in full on Mauve TV with bilingual commentary.
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Tickets are still available for the return leg at the Lotto Park on 27 August.
