A last-minute victory and an open-air concert: how the QJ League All-Star game went down

Despite the rainy weather in recent days, nature was favourable to all who came to the Khan Tengri Stadium this evening: the 3,000-seat stands were filled almost to capacity.

 

In the best traditions of the QJ League, matchday was not just a football meeting, but a full-fledged leisure: the stadium doors opened two hours before the starting whistle so that everyone, regardless of age, could find something to do in the pre-game activities.

 

For example, you could try to hold on to a in a rodeo ball, play kicker, football billiards or console, get festive water make-up, have fun with animators dressed as puppets of world football stars, and dance to a DJ set. The League partners - Mastercard, Freedom Bank and Freedom Finance, as well as Snickers, Red Bull and Riksamin - organised their own branded zones. A photo booth was also open at the stadium, so everyone could take home their memories of the evening.

 

 

Our players arrived at the game in Kazakh shapans from MYRZA Brand, under which they wore branded jerseys from the joint collection of the League and ALIBEKOV brand - each of them was marked with the contours of the region and the coordinates of the home stadium of the club, whose pupil is a footballer.

 

 

Before the start of the match, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the QJ League Timur Turlov and the President of the League Rokhus Shokh addressed the audience with a welcoming speech. Then the anthems of Serbia and Kazakhstan were played, after which the game began.

 

 

For a long time there were zeros on the scoreboard, although both sides were actively trying to open the scoring: there was even a small scuffle after one of the clashes, but it quickly died down.

 

Despite the lack of goals, the spectators had a good time: they cheered loudly for our guys, enjoying every positive moment of the game for the QJ League team. The hosts - Peter Volikov and Myrza Makhambet - actively warmed up the audience, as well as funny Kiss cam and Dance cam on the scoreboard.

 

After the first half, the presenters held a raffle among the fans, throwing the ball into the stands. Those who were lucky enough to win went down to the pitch to compete for 100,000 tenge from Freedom Bank: to win, they had to hit the ‘nine’ from the eleven-metre mark. After unsuccessful attempts, there was still one lucky person who could - and he took the prize!

 

 

After the break, there were still no goals for a long time: when there were only ten minutes left to play, the announcer even reminded that in case of a dry draw the teams would immediately start hitting penalty kicks. But they didn't have to: in the 85th minute Azamat Tuyakbayev from Kairat scored the long-awaited goal.

 

This guy was not in the original squad list, but it so happened that Nurdaulet Orynbassar from Taraz got injured and dropped out - coaches had to urgently look for his replacement.

 

«We chose him from several candidates, I know him personally since 2021, when he played for Taraz. In Kairat he has added a lot, and I think that by the will of the God so happened that Azamat was with us, we released him on the field and he scored one of the goals», - will say after the match head coach of the team QJ League Askar Keljanov.

 

 

The plans of Crvena's pupils to equalise were not destined to come true: in the 88th minute a goal was scored by the league's top scorer Dastan Satpayev, setting the final score on the scoreboard - 2:0.

 

This match was a farewell benefit for Askar Keljanov in the QJ League - shortly before the game the coach was offered to lead the main team of Caspiy.

 

«This week was, you could say, fabulous: the League created just crazy conditions for our team's preparation. The game was difficult, Crvena Zvezda has one of the best academies, many players then play in Europe. I think our game plan worked, I want to say a big ‘thank you’ to the guys: they did well, they showed character.

 

I thought: ‘Is this how the QJ League ends for me?’. I decided to myself: if I win this match, I will definitely go to coach the adult team of Caspiy, and if I lose, it will be a signal to stay here, to prove something. I think I have achieved a lot in the League and now I want to make a step towards professional football», – he said in a flash interview, thanking everyone who came to the game for their support.

 

Azamat Tuyakbayev also shared his impressions: «A very cool match. The atmosphere at the stadium was great: to play on the field when so many fans, it is worth a lot. I want to thank the opponents, it was not easy to play against them. I came on as a substitute in the second half, and our starting forwards wore them down a bit, so it was probably a bit easier for me.

 

 

The emotions after the goal cannot be conveyed in words. At the moment when Crvena players earned a free kick, I told Dastan that we should decide everything in regulation time, not to bring it to a penalty shootout. And in our next attack I scored. After that Satpayev, who played all 90 minutes, said that it was very difficult for him. I encouraged him, said that he would score his goal now. And soon he brought our lead to two goals.

 

I want to say a big thank you to my mum, I love you very much! And in general to everyone who supported me, thank you!».

 

«I think it was a cool game: two amazing goals at the very end, ours beat a team from one of the best European academies. I really believe in our guys! We and our football have a very good future», – said Timur Turlov after the match.

 

The atmospheric football evening was closed by RaiM. A full-fledged stage was set up near the field, and fans who came to the game could not only listen to the favourite hits of the popular artist live, but also win prizes. Almaty residents who came to Khan Tengri in the early evening, went home at dusk - with a pleasant fatigue in their legs and smiles on their faces.

 

 

Meanwhile, the QJ League season continues! There are a lot of intense games and colourful events ahead of the League.

 

QJL All-Star – Crvena Zvezda 2:0 (0:0)

Goals: Azamat Tuyakbayev, 85 (1:0), Dastan Satpayev, 89 (2:0)

QJL All-Star: Sayatkhan Kussainov; Daniyar Tashpulatov; Amirbek Bazarbayev; Alikhan Israilov (C); Daryn Ospan (Bekarys Valeriev, 84); Shyngys Duissenbek; Alan Adakhayev (Azizhon Berdiyev, 70); Roman Assylbayev (Azamat Tuyakbayev, 58); Dastan Satpayev; Alan Azamat (Shakhmurza Adyrbekov, 58); Bagdaulet Nuraly (Arseniy Blokhin, 46).

Substitutes: Yan Lalov; Yerkebulan Chinzhirbek; Maksat Magzumov; Zumrad Zhumatay; Bogdan Chernobuk; Daniyar Sharabadin.

Crvena Zvezda: Filip Dostanić (Petar Lužaić, 90+2); Andrej Čaprić (Uroš Blagojević, 55); Đorđe Cvetković (Dimitrije Ilić, 90+2); Ilija Kostić (С) (Luka Janković, 90+2); Andrej Pavlović (Petar Kraljević, 70); Nikola Gačić (Marko Miljković, 84); Luka Ranković (Ivan Trač, 70); Joshua Tucker (Stefan Stolić, 46); Saša Storebra (Petar Popović, 55); Uroš Đorđević (Aleksa Ćitić, 84); Vukašin Ivanović (Relja Zorić, 46; Aleksa Vučićević, 90+2).

Yellow cards: Saša Storebra, 4; Andrej Pavlović, 57; Relja Zorić, 76; Shyngys Duissenbek, 76.

Referee: Saken Baiymbet

20.07.2024. Almaty. Khan Tengri stadium. 2 465 spectators.