Matchday III of the Freedom QJ League W: What the Players and Coaches Said

Astana – Aktobe, 1:0

Azamat Zhitpisbayev, head coach of Aktobe

– There was a lot of fight, the girls did their best – well done. They followed the game plan, stuck to the formation. We lacked some pace and finishing in certain moments. We’ll work on correcting these mistakes.

Arai Tilegenova, midfielder of Aktobe

– We gave it our all in this match. Yes, we admit the loss, but we put everything into it. In the second half, we opened up the midfield and failed to understand each other – that led to the goal we conceded.

Bolat Saginbayev, head coach of Astana

– Thanks to the opposing team for the game. As expected, they made it difficult with tight, compact defending. In the first half, we lacked finishing and composure in attack. Even though we dominated, it was hard to break them down towards the end. In the second half, we made some tactical changes and substitutions – and they worked.

Sofiya Rybak, forward of Astana

– The game was very intense, and we couldn't score for a long time. I’m happy I scored — it’s my first goal in the Freedom QJ League. The coach believed in me, gave me a chance – and I took it. I dedicate this goal to my friend. Saida, this one’s for you!

Tobol – Zhetysu, 8:0

Almas Mukazhanov, assistant coach of Zhetysu

– Thanks for the game. Congratulations to the Tobol team on their victory — they showed good football and converted their chances.

Despite the result, I want to thank our girls as well — they gave it their all. We’ll take a lot of experience from this match. There were many mistakes. We'll work on fixing them and preparing for the next match.

Freedom QJ League is a tournament of a very high level. Huge thanks to all the organizers and founders of the league. From every angle, everything is done with quality and thought-through. We deeply appreciate the League for that. We hope this tournament continues.

Medina Ablakat, midfielder of Zhetysu

– Overall, it was a good game. The opponent played really well. I think we also performed at our level. Huge thanks to our parents, coaches, and everyone who supports us.

We couldn’t earn any points today, but I hope we’ll show a better performance in the next game. The field was good, comfortable to play on. But the weather was really hot.

Denis Safronov, head coach of Tobol

– Overall, the players carried out the instructions we gave them. The task was to press high, to meet the opponent in the first zone — and they managed it well.

We had a tough start to the season. We’re the only team that began the championship with two away games. We struggled a bit with the pressure and had to adjust.

But we were focused only on winning. It’s always interesting to play against Zhetysu — they’re technically skilled girls, strong individually, and play neatly, without roughness.

Today, the circumstances were in our favor. We really were the stronger side, and we confirmed our status as favorites.

I want to congratulate the parents who came to watch. This was our first home game. I’m very glad fans came, and very glad the Freedom QJ League has finally started here in Kostanay. That matters. Congrats to everyone on the win.

Alina Sartaeva, midfielder of Tobol

– We fought until the end. We've been waiting for this win for a long time. We really wanted to get points – and today we finally did. I dedicate the goals to our fans, to those who came to support us. Thank you, everyone. Who do I want to send greetings to? My mom.

Kairat – Irtysh, 4:1

Kseniya Postovaya, head coach of Irtysh

– As a coach, I can say I liked the game. In the second half, the girls fully carried out the plan. In the first half, of course, we had a breakdown.

There’s one area we need to work on — the players’ physical condition. Lack of experience is a factor: the team is just transitioning to the 11-a-side format.

But by the third game, we’re already playing much better. Despite the score on the board — in terms of play, I think we did well.

Eldar Gasanov, assistant head coach of Kairat

– It was a very tough match. First of all, I want to thank the opponent — they’re a well-organized team.

We tried to stick to our plan, and the girls fully carried it out. The heat was difficult, of course, but both teams were in the same conditions.

You could say we were a bit luckier. Thanks to the opponents for a good game.

Zhaniya Makhash, midfielder of Kairat

– It was a tough game. We tried our best. Despite the heat, the opponents pressed really well. We didn’t expect that – we thought they’d play more directly, with long balls. But their pressing was very smart and well-organized.

Ordabasy – Shakhtyor, 2:4

Sergey Polenov, head coach of Shakhtyor

– I want to thank our opponents for a good match. It was an interesting game — for the spectators and for the girls themselves. Matches like this are always useful; they help you learn. Weather conditions also played a role. In the last 20 minutes, we dropped off a bit, but the substitutions worked. Thanks to the girls and to everyone who supported us. The carriage has started moving — we just hope it doesn’t turn back into a pumpkin.

It was open football. The team that wanted it more won. Both sides could’ve done better with finishing. I liked the opponent’s wingers — fast and talented girls. After halftime, their captain moved to the right wing and did a great job there. Their crosses were good, but our defenders and goalkeeper played reliably.

Our goal is to grow from game to game. Some girls are stronger, others still developing. But in every match we aim for the maximum and hope to climb higher in the standings.

Timur Valiev, assistant coach of Ordabasy

– It was a tough match, despite the weather. But we were ready for those conditions. The opponent was strong and showed us where we need to improve. Congrats to Shakhter on the win. Going forward, we’ll focus more on building better on-field connections. This is football — someone wins, someone loses.

Ziyoda Ravshanbekova, defender of Ordabasy

– We tried to keep control and gave it our all. Everyone played with heart and with tactics. We’ve set clear goals for the upcoming matches. We played for everything — for ourselves, for our parents, for our team. We believe we’ll show better results in the future.