A preview of the next round of the girls' tournament.
Kaisar vs. Ordabasy
Both teams started the season with heavy defeats. The Kyzylorda players lost to Shakhter (1-5), while Azizbek Tursumetov's squad conceded six unanswered goals against Kairat.
That being said, both Kaisar and Ordabasy had their moments and registered shots on goal. The outcome of this clash is tough to predict—victory could go to either the girls' tournament debutants or the visitors from Shymkent.
Shakhter vs. Tobol
Shakhter's players finished last season next to bottom in the standings, but Sergey Polenov's team showed last week that this year could tell a completely different story. Meanwhile, Tobol started the new championship with a false start (a 0-4 loss to Astana), but this will surely only spur the Kostanay players on to improve their game.
As of today, the head-to-head record between the teams stands at 1-1, with each side winning strictly on their home turf. In the upcoming round, Shakhter could either turn this coincidence into a regular pattern or shatter the trend completely.
One of the standout debutants of the new girls' tournament season was 14-year-old Polina Safonova—she bagged a brace against Kaisar, despite spending only 63 minutes on the pitch. Will the "Cinderella" striker manage to pleasantly surprise the Karaganda club's fans once again?
Kairat vs. Aktobe
By putting six goals past Ordabasy, the reigning champions have built a solid foundation to repeat last year's success—as a reminder, Oksana Kokhannaya's team has yet to drop a single point in the League.
Aktobe's very first match of the new season, however, ended in a goalless draw. Despite the "Red-and-Whites" making active attempts to score (14 shots on goal, 8 of which were on target), Irtysh managed to keep a clean sheet.
Nevertheless, matches between Kairat and Aktobe are historically surrounded by special attention due to how fiercely principled this rivalry is in the eyes of the fans. Last year's two head-to-head meetings in the Freedom QJ League W didn't go too well for the Red-and-Whites, ending in 1-7 and 0-8 defeats. How will it unfold this time around?
Irtysh vs. Astana
As mentioned above, the Pavlodar team managed to walk away with a draw from Aktobe in the first round. Now, Irtysh will enjoy the home-field advantage, but the capital city squad is a formidable opponent.
Astana kicked off the season with a resounding victory over Tobol (4-0), where Zhibek Marat played a starring role by providing three assists at once. Will the Pavlodar players manage to contain the visitors' attacking line and break through their defense?
.webp)
