Forecast: Kazakhstan match against Wales
Wales Prepare for World Cup Qualifier Against Kazakhstan
Wales are set to face Kazakhstan in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier, with the match scheduled to kick off at 3pm UK time on September 4. The venue for the encounter will be the Astana Arena in Astana.
The Welsh team, currently second in UEFA Group J with seven points from four matches, will be without the services of Aaron Ramsey and Ethan Ampadu. Craig Bellamy, the Wales manager, announced that Ramsey has not played enough football recently due to injury, and it would not be fair to expect him to play a significant role in the match after a long absence. Ampadu, on the other hand, is sidelined due to a knee injury.
Despite the absence of Ramsey, Bellamy expressed his intention to get the midfielder back to full fitness and playing regularly before considering him for future matches. However, for the upcoming game, Dylan Lawlor and Ronan Kpakio will form the midfield, with the latter being part of the Wales squad for the first time. Rubin Colwill, another promising young talent, is not part of the squad for this match.
Kazakhstan, currently fourth in UEFA Group J with three points from three matches, have not fared well in their World Cup qualifiers. They have not scored more than 3 goals in any of their matches and have conceded 4 goals. In their previous match, they lost to North Macedonia 1-0.
In contrast, Wales have scored 10 goals in 4 World Cup qualifiers, but have conceded 6 goals. Their most recent victory was a 1-0 win against Kazakhstan on September 4, 2025, a result they will be hoping to repeat.
Kazakhstan manager Ali Aliyev has named a strong squad for the matches against Wales and Belgium, indicating their determination to secure a positive result.
Wales reached the semi-finals at UEFA Euro 2016 and also progressed to the round of 16 at UEFA Euro 2020, demonstrating their potential to cause an upset. However, their last outing ended in a 4-3 loss to Belgium, a result that will have dented their confidence slightly.
Despite this, Wales will be aiming to continue their World Cup qualification campaign on a positive note when they face Kazakhstan next week. The team will be looking to maintain their possession and create numerous opportunities on goal, as they did in their previous encounter against Kazakhstan at the Cardiff City Stadium in March, where they had 64% of the possession and took 12 attempts on goal.
With both teams eager to secure a win, the match promises to be an exciting one. Fans can tune in to watch the action unfold on September 4.
