Wales kick off World Cup qualifying with win over Kazakhstan

Phil Blanche, PA

Wales opened their World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over Kazakhstan.

Daniel James gave Wales an early advantage before a near-capacity 32,473 crowd at the Cardiff City Stadium but that was wiped out by Askhat Tagybergen’s penalty, awarded after Connor Roberts had handled.

Kazakhstan were threatening to throw a spanner in the works but skipper Ben Davies and Rabbi Matondo, with his first Wales goal in the final minute, ensured a winning start for Craig Bellamy’s side.

It was only then at Welsh fans could breathe easily, but Bellamy will be delighted to bank three points before a tougher assignment in North Macedonia on Tuesday.

For the first-ever men’s meeting between the two nations, Bellamy made four changes from their previous fixture in November – a 4-1 win against Iceland that took his unbeaten start to a record-extending six games.

Karl Darlow got the nod over Danny Ward in goal and Roberts, Sorba Thomas and David Brooks also returned to the starting line-up after Wales had topped their Nations League group.

Kazakhstan, at 110th in the FIFA standings, arrived a whopping 81 places below Wales but with a proud record against British teams having beaten Scotland in 2019 and Northern Ireland twice in Euro 2024 qualifying.

Wales started slowly with several misplaced passes and poor touches before taking a ninth-minute lead.

A corner routine broke down but swift pressing from Liam Cullen and Davies saw the ball break to James, and his shot deflected off Aleksandr Marochkin to wrongfoot Alexandr Zarutskiy in the visitors’ goal.

It was James’ eighth international goal and the Leeds winger was the main source of Welsh attacking danger as events unfolded.

James went down under a Nuraly Alip challenge when howls for a penalty were ignored, but Lithuanian referee Donatas Rumsas would soon be pointing to the spot.

Islam Chesnokov’s 32nd-minute cross struck Roberts from close proximity, but the full-back’s arm was away from his body and there was always likely to one outcome despite a lengthy VAR check.

Tagybergen’s kick trickled over the line in slow motion after striking Darlow, Kazakhstan’s first goal in seven competitive matches stretching back to November 2023.

Roberts was central to the next talking point after being felled by Maxim Samorodov, with the full-back caught on the back of the calf.

Rumsas was sent to the pitchside monitor for another VAR check and after inspection decided that a yellow card, and not red, was enough punishment for Samorodov.

Two minutes after the re-start Thomas won a corner that he drilled to the far post, and met by Davies with a bullet header for only his third goal in 93 appearances.

Cullen fired over after good work by Brooks and substitute Jordan James was denied by Zarutskiy’s sprawling save as Wales ramped up the pressure.

But Wales had to wait until the 90th minute for nerves to be calmed completely.

Jordan James sprayed a delicious pass to Thomas and his trickery allowed him to deliver a cross that Matondo gleefully dispatched.