Belgium's hopes of securing an immediate ticket to the 2026 World Cup were dramatically put on hold after a resilient and heroic performance from Kazakhstan and their goalkeeper, Temirlan Anarbekov, ended in a 1-1 draw in Astana.
Anarbekov's Astonishing Saves
The story of the night was written by the Kazakh number one, Temirlan Anarbekov, who produced a string of world-class saves to keep a star-studded Belgian attack at bay. Throughout the first half, he repeatedly denied the visitors, making crucial stops from Hans Vanaken, Leandro Trossard, and Charles De Ketelaere to keep his side in the contest.
Kazakhstan had taken a shock early lead through 17-year-old Dastan Satpayev. The teenager capitalised on a sloppy pass from defender Arthur Theate, driving towards goal and slotting the ball past Matz Sels at his near post.
Belgium Fight Back But Fall Short
Belgium eventually found a way past the inspired Anarbekov early in the second half. Captain Hans Vanaken found space between the Kazakh defenders to head home easily from Timothy Castagne's cross, levelling the scores.
The home side's task was made harder when Islam Chesnokov was shown a red card after a VAR review by Lithuanian referee Donatas Rumsas upgraded his initial yellow for a trip on Jérémy Doku. Despite being down to 10 men for the final 11 minutes, Kazakhstan held firm.
In a dramatic finale, Belgium thought they had snatched victory and qualification in the last minute, but Nicolas Raskin was denied from point-blank range by another phenomenal reaction save from the unbeatable Anarbekov.
Qualification Implications
The result leaves Belgium two points clear at the top of Group J ahead of North Macedonia. Their fate remains in their own hands, with a final qualifying match at home to Liechtenstein on Tuesday, where a win will confirm their place at the World Cup.
Elsewhere in European qualification, Spain can secure their passage from Group E with a victory in Georgia, while Austria, Denmark, and Switzerland all have the chance to apply significant pressure on their rivals with positive results in their respective matches.
