Despite being ranked 204th in the FIFA rankings, Liechtenstein put up a fight. However, in the 42nd minute, Maksim Samorodov capitalized on Marat Bystrov’s pass to open the scoring. Just three minutes later, Aleksandr Marochkin netted his first-ever goal for the national team, doubling the lead.
Kazakhstan dominated the second half but failed to convert further chances. Still, this win marked the end of a 12-year drought in World Cup qualifiers. The team had not won a match in the competition since September 2013, when they beat the Faroe Islands (2:1), enduring 22 games with seven draws and 15 losses since.
Kazakhstan will next face North Macedonia on June 9 at home.
