Wales resume their attempt to reach the World Cup
Kazakhstan v Wales preview
Wales resume their attempt to reach a second successive World Cup when they meet Kazakhstan in Astana.
Author | Stephen Chadwick
Stadium | Astana Arena
 |
| The stadium that will host the match |
Wales have made an encouraging start under Craig Bellamy. After earning promotion to the top tier of the Nations League at the end of last year, they have taken seven points from their opening four World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
They are also the leading scorers in Group J with ten goals. An opening victory over Kazakhstan was followed by a stoppage-time equaliser in North Macedonia, when David Brooks rescued a point. A 3-0 win at home to Liechtenstein then set the stage for an eye-catching performance in Brussels. Wales fought back from three goals down against Belgium, only for Kevin De Bruyne’s late strike to seal the points for the hosts.
READ MORE | Heartbreak for Wales in Belgium
READ MORE | Wales snatch dramatic draw in North Macedonia
That result ended Bellamy’s nine-match unbeaten run, yet his side remain second in the table, one point behind leaders North Macedonia, although Belgium have two games in hand. With only two wins from their last 14 away fixtures, Wales now face a demanding trip to the Kazakh capital. Victory will be vital if they are to keep their qualification hopes on track.
Before rounding off this international window with a friendly against Canada in Swansea, Bellamy’s team will aim to leave Astana with maximum points.
History between the two nations
 |
| The previous match earlier in the campaign |
Kazakhstan and Wales have met just once before, in March, when Bellamy’s side ran out winners. They now arrive in Astana four points clear of Thursday’s hosts in Group J.
Currently ranked 114th in the world by Fifa, 31 places below their best-ever standing, Kazakhstan are 83 spots adrift of Wales in the global list. Ali Aliyev’s team have scored only three times in qualifying, collecting one win and two defeats. Following their 3-1 loss in Cardiff, they beat Liechtenstein 2-0 before a narrow defeat to North Macedonia.
The Hawks have lost 13 of their past 16 games in all competitions, their only other win in that run coming in a friendly against Curaçao. They have not won a World Cup qualifier on home soil for 12 years, underlining the scale of the challenge ahead.
Welsh team news
Craig Bellamy has omitted Cymru captain Aaron Ramsey from his squad for this month’s camp, with the midfielder still lacking match fitness. Two further regulars are also unavailable.
Goalkeeper Danny Ward, forced off during Wrexham’s weekend victory at Millwall, will miss out, as will Leeds United’s Ethan Ampadu.
Cardiff City youngsters Dylan Lawlor and Ronan Kpakio are unlikely to feature on Thursday but have been called up for the first time, joined by Coventry City midfielder Kai Andrews, who also awaits his senior debut.
At the other end of the pitch, Harry Wilson is expected to start. The Fulham winger has scored six goals since Bellamy took charge, while Sorba Thomas has impressed in recent months, providing two assists in the reverse fixture. Both are set to link up with Brennan Johnson in attack.
