Kazakhstan had an impressive start to their Futsal World Cup preparations as they dominated Tajikistan in a friendly warm-up fixture. Birzhan Orazov, Dauren Tursagulov, and Akzhol Daribay were among the goal scorers.
Kazakhstan dominated Tajikistan in their first warm-up game ahead of the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2024, registering a 3-0 victory courtesy of Douglas, Tursagulov masterclass. The game was played in Astana in a super-charged atmosphere where Douglas Junior showcased some amazing skills, while Birzhan Orazov, Dauren Tursagulov, and Akzhol Daribay managed to sneak away with the goals.
It was a welcome victory for Kazakhstan who only assembled their squad on August 5 and were playing their first warm-up fixture ahead of the mega event. On the other hand, Tajikistan had already played four warm-up matches in July. It looked as though Kaka’s men went in with a plan, attacking the visitors from the word go and setting the Sairan Arena on fire in front of a sold-out crowd.
Tursagulov tested Tajikistan defense constantly with his skilful moves and brisk footwork. Orazov was the first to break the deadlock as he fired one in after getting a perfect ball from Tursagulov. Douglas initiated the move, playing one-two with Tursagulov, and acted smartly to slip the ball to Orazov in a striking position. Tursagulov struck the second goal, and then Daribay came up with the final strike to secure a 3-0 win for Kazakhstan.
“We’ve had three weeks of really hard training,” captain and goalkeeper Leo Higuita said. “In the first half our legs felt heavy because it was our first game. Your first game is always tough. In the second half our legs felt looser, we started to play and we scored three goals.
“We play again on Saturday against Tajikistan. Every step is important. It’s complete focus every day.”
Tajikistan did create several dangerous chances in the first half, but they could not get past Kazakhstan’s defense. Eventually, Kazakhstan started dominating and scored 3 goals in the second half to secure their first victory.
The two teams are set to play another friendly on Saturday and would like to steal a win and get their mojo back.
Kazakhstan are set to play Spain, New Zealand, and Libya in the Group D of the FIFA Futsal World Cup. Tajikistan are drawn into Group E and will be up against Portugal, Morocco, and Panama. Both teams are expected to enjoy great support at the mega event as they both are bordering with Uzbekistan.