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After Real Madrid defeated FC Kairat in yesterday’s Champions League match, goalkeeper Sherkhan Kalmurza quickly became a social media sensation. Videos of Sherkhan’s stunning saves circulated on Threads, where users praised his performance and thanked him for preventing an even bigger loss.

Since the match, Sherkhan’s Instagram following has grown by 81,000, reaching 149,000 at the time of publication.

In the aftermath of the match, posts featuring Sherkhan on Threads received thousands of likes. Some users quickly calculated that he made seven saves during the game.

Almaty’s Kairat suffered a heavy 0-5 defeat against Real Madrid in their Champions League group stage match.

Eduardo Camavinga scored Madrid’s fourth goal in the 83rd minute, before Brahim Díaz added a fifth in the third minute of stoppage time.

The match was officiated by a refereeing team led by Marco Guida.

Earlier, the starting lineups were announced.

On matchday one, Kairat lost 4-1 away to Portugal’s Sporting in Lisbon, while Real Madrid defeated Marseille at the Santiago Bernabéu thanks to a brace from Kylian Mbappé.

At the 83rd minute of the Real Madrid vs. Kairat UEFA Champions League match, the visitors scored the fourth goal and took a 4-0 lead. The goal was scored by Eduardo Camavinga. The previous three goals were scored by Kylian Mbappé.

The teams are facing off at Central Stadium in Almaty on matchday two of the UEFA Champions League.

The match is being officiated by a refereeing team led by Marco Guida.

Earlier, the starting lineups were announced.

On matchday one, Kairat were defeated 4-1 by Portugal’s Sporting in Lisbon. 

In the 74th minute of the Real Madrid-Kairat match, Kylian Mbappé scored the third goal.

The teams are facing off at Central Stadium in Almaty on matchday two of the UEFA Champions League.

The match is being officiated by a refereeing team led by Marco Guida.

Earlier, the starting lineups were announced.

On matchday one, Kairat were defeated 4-1 by Portugal’s Sporting in Lisbon.

At the 52nd minute of the Real Madrid vs. Kairat UEFA Champions League match, the visitors scored the second goal and took a 2-0 lead. The goal was scored by Kylian Mbappé.

The teams are facing off at Central Stadium in Almaty on matchday two of the UEFA Champions League.

The match is being officiated by a refereeing team led by Marco Guida.

Earlier, the starting lineups were announced.

On matchday one, Kairat were defeated 4-1 by Portugal’s Sporting in Lisbon. 

At the 25th minute of the Real Madrid vs. Kairat UEFA Champions League match, the visitors opened the scoring and took a 1-0 lead. The goal was scored by Kylian Mbappé.

The teams are facing off at Central Stadium in Almaty on matchday two of the UEFA Champions League.

The match is being officiated by a refereeing team led by Marco Guida.

Earlier, the starting lineups were announced.

On matchday one, Kairat were defeated 4-1 by Portugal’s Sporting in Lisbon.

The match between Kairat and Real Madrid has started at Central Stadium in Almaty. The teams are meeting at the matchday two of the UEFA Champions League.

The match is being officiated by a refereeing team led by Marco Guida.

The starting lineups are available here.

Read the match preview here.

On matchday one, Kairat was defeated 4-1 by Portugal’s Sporting in Lisbon.

Anticipation fills Central Stadium in Almaty as Kairat hosts Real Madrid in an imminent Champions League clash.

Today’s game is significant for at least two reasons. First, it is historic for Kairat: the Almaty club is playing its first home match as a Champions League group-stage participant. Second, Real Madrid, one of the most decorated clubs in the world, is visiting Kazakhstan for the first time in its history.

Central Stadium’s 23,804 seats sold out online in hours, with demand far exceeding availability.

The stands are filled with supporters of both Kairat and Real Madrid. Among...

The football clubs’ social media have posted the starting lineups for the Sept. 30 UEFA Champions League phase match at Central Stadium in Almaty.

Kairat lineup:

Real Madrid:

The match will be officiated by a refereeing team led by Marco Guida.

The game starts at 9:45 p.m. local...

A social media marketing specialist for Real Madrid’s official Instagram account made an amusing mistake. Instead of tagging Central Stadium (Ortalyq Stadıony in Kazakh), they accidentally tagged a pawnshop named Ortalyq in one of the posts.

A business from Almaty was on vivid display in the football club’s tags for several hours before an audience of 177 million followers worldwide. Nevertheless, the mistake was later corrected.

Users in the comment section joked that the move was «a hidden advertising integration.»

«The chances of your pawnshop being tagged by Real Madrid are low — but never...

The Alem Crypto Fund has launched in Kazakhstan. It was established by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development and is managed by Qazaqstan Venture Group. The fund is registered with the Astana International Financial Centre.

The fund’s primary objective is to invest in long-term digital assets and create reserves. Looking ahead, the Alem Crypto Fund may also serve as a state savings tool, further reinforcing its national importance.

«The creation of the Alem Crypto Fund is a step toward the development of digital finance in Kazakhstan. Our goal is to make...

A government shutdown is imminent as lawmakers clash over federal funding priorities, with neither side yielding as the midnight deadline approaches, according to Reuters.

The standoff centers on a partisan dispute: Senate Republicans propose a stopgap funding bill, but Democrats demand inclusion of health subsidy extensions. Without a resolution, funding for a quarter of the government’s operations will lapse, crippling services and forcing furloughs.

President Donald Trump has sent mixed signals, with Democrats arguing he is open to supporting health subsidies, while Republicans, represented by Vice President JD Vance, accuse Democrats of leveraging the shutdown. Any last-minute deal must...

Social media is discussing a video showing Almaty’s Kairat players returning to their hotel late in the evening. The footballers arrived quietly and almost unnoticed — with only a few fans there to greet them.

Earlier, Spain’s Real Madrid arrived in Almaty overnight on Sept. 29, with hundreds of fans already gathered at the airport. Law enforcement authorities had to control the crowd eager to catch a glimpse of the team bus carrying the Real Madrid players.

However, Kairat did not receive such grand support. In the comments, only a few fans mentioned that they had come to greet...

A Chinese national has been convicted in London for her role in a massive Bitcoin fraud following what authorities describe as the most significant cryptocurrency seizure in history, according to Euronews.

Zhimin Qian, also known as Yadi Zhang, was admitted to Southwark Crown Court for acquiring and holding illicit cryptocurrency valued at more than £5.5 billion (€6.3 billion). The case followed a seven-year investigation by the Metropolitan Police into global money laundering.

According to police, 47-year-old Qian ran a large-scale investment fraud in China between 2014 and 2017, defrauding over 128,000 victims. The proceeds were converted into...

The upcoming UEFA Champions League match between Real Madrid and Kairat has already generated buzz both on social media and in real life, with crowds gathering at the airport and hotel to catch a glimpse of the La Liga club’s players. The luckiest fans even managed to get autographs from their idols. This is not a big surprise given that Real Madrid is a long-established club known worldwide, whereas Kairat is a Champions League debutant. Nevertheless, Kairat also has its own rich history, one that ultimately led to its match on Sept. 30.

Kairat traces its history back...

A disabled boy from Kazakhstan, Sanzhar, had the chance to meet his idol, Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé.

Real Madrid arrived in Almaty on Sept. 28. On Monday, the squad held a training session at Central Stadium, which will host a historic match between Real Madrid and Kairat today at 9:45 p.m. local time.

Kazakh businessman Kairat Boranbayev, chairman of the FC Kairat supervisory board, said he invited Sanzhar — who had long dreamed of meeting his favorite team, especially Mbappé — to the training session.

A video of the meeting posted on...

Almaty’s hotels are nearly full as 10,000 football fans arrive for the Kairat-Real Madrid match, according to the Almaty Tourism Department.

Tourism officials, citing the e-Qonaq online system, reveal that over 5,000 foreign tourists have secured hotel stays in Almaty from Sept. 26 to 29, with an equally lively influx expected from across Kazakhstan.

Altogether, there are 12,500 rooms in the city’s hotels, which can accommodate 22,800 people. Therefore, the hotel occupancy rate before the match has reached 95%.

“At the same time, some fans traditionally choose alternative accommodations — hostels, apartments and rental housing...

The first regulated stablecoin pegged to the offshore Chinese yuan, AxCNH, has launched in Kazakhstan. The move is part of China’s effort to utilize blockchain to streamline cross-border trade and reduce its reliance on the U.S. dollar, according to Yang Guang, chief technology officer of China’s state-owned blockchain network, Conflux, as reported by Reuters.

On Sept. 17, 2025, Hong Kong-based fintech firm AnchorX, powered by Conflux, received a license from the Astana Financial Services Authority in Kazakhstan.

Guang said that China, as a major power, cannot miss out on any promising technology and will invest...

Afghanistan has been plunged into silence after the Taliban cut internet and phone services nationwide, describing the move as part of a crackdown on «immoral activities,» according to CNN.

On Monday night, the monitoring group NetBlocks reported a complete internet blackout in Afghanistan. Millions of people were unable to connect with family and friends. Flights to Kabul were canceled, and both Afghan and international news outlets lost contact with staff in the capital. The move followed an internet ban in Balkh Province earlier this month, imposed for the same reason.

This is the largest blackout since the Taliban...

AstraZeneca will list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange, while maintaining its UK headquarters, its main listing on the London Stock Exchange and its tax base, according to Euronews.

The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical giant stated that it will replace its current American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) on Nasdaq with a direct listing of common shares on the New York Stock Exchange. Concurrently, AstraZeneca will maintain its primary listing on the London Stock Exchange, as well as its secondary listing on the Stockholm Stock Exchange.

AstraZeneca stated that the change aims to facilitate U.S. investors’ access to its stock...

Real Madrid held a press conference ahead of their Champions League match against Kairat in Almaty. One of the team’s captains, Federico Valverde, was the first to answer reporters’ questions, followed later by coach Xabi Alonso.

Valverde emphasized the importance of winning after the devastating 2-5 defeat to Atlético Madrid. The players understand that the upcoming clash with Kairat will be significant. He also noted that the team will try to change the momentum from the previous match from a footballing perspective.

«It’s been a tough couple of days. From a footballing perspective we’re frustrated with...

Kairat head coach Rafael Urazbakhtin and defender Egor Sorokin spoke at a press conference on Monday ahead of their Champions League match with Real Madrid, outlining tactics and emphasizing mental strength in preparation for the historic encounter.

Real Madrid’s debut in Kazakhstan

Playing in Kazakhstan for the first time, the Spanish giants have brought a full-strength squad led by star forward Kylian Mbappé. Real Madrid, seeking redemption after its 5-2 defeat to Atlético Madrid in La Liga on Sept. 27, is determined to make a statement.

«Certainly, they’ll give their all here,» Urazbakhtin...

Real Madrid’s rising prospect Kylian Mbappé immediately drew the attention of football fans upon his arrival in Almaty.

Long before the Spanish team landed at the city’s airport, hundreds of fans had already gathered there overnight, and a similar scene unfolded near the InterContinental Hotel. Admirers of the La Liga team almost filled the venue’s lobby, hoping to take a photo or get an autograph. One of the stars of the event was a boy who ran up to the footballer.

The forward appreciated the young fan’s gesture and gently hugged him. After that, the hotel’s security escorted the...

Kazakhstan is holding a public contest to name its first nuclear power plant — and one tongue-in-cheek suggestion has captured attention.

Journalist Askar Ismailov proposed calling the facility «Nuke,» after the well-known map from the video game Counter-Strike. In the game, battles take place at the fictional Cedar Creek nuclear plant in the U.S.

«Well, it’s worth a shot. And yes, you can submit your idea through the eGov mobile app. Applications are being accepted until Oct. 10,» Ismailov wrote, reminding citizens about the competition.

The idea quickly resonated online. Social...