Both countries were promoted from Nations League D in 2019 and now find themselves battling to avoid re-joining Europe's minnows.

Thursday's first leg was a first game in charge for Kazakhstan interim manager Andrei Karpovich, who is a former captain of the national team and his country's fifth-most capped player of all time.

Karpovich replaced Talgat Baysufinov, who only lasted little over a year at the helm after succeeding Michal Bilek who departed after Kazakhstan finished bottom of Group 4 in Nations League C with one win from six games.

Their only victory in the group came in the opening fixture against Lithuania in September 2020 and they then went without a competitive win until the first leg of this tie.

Kazakhstan, who are ranked 120th in the world, finished bottom of their World Cup qualifying group, drawing twice with Euro 2020 quarter-finalists Ukraine but also losing 8-0 away in France.

The transcontinental nation last won a competitive home fixture in June 2019, when San Marino were the visitors to Nur-Sultan.



译文(自动翻译仅供参考):

这两个国家都是在2019年从D联赛晋升上来的，现在他们发现自己正在努力避免重新加入欧洲小国的行列。

周四的首回合比赛是哈萨克斯坦临时主教练安德烈·卡波维奇(Andrei Karpovich)上任后的首场比赛。卡波维奇曾任哈萨克斯坦国家队队长，是哈萨克斯坦历史上出场次数第五多的球员。

卡尔波维奇接替了巴苏非诺夫，后者在哈萨克斯坦以六场比赛一胜的成绩在C国联赛第四组垫底后离开，而巴苏非诺夫只担任了一年多一点的主教练。

他们在小组中的唯一一场胜利是在2020年9月对阵立陶宛的首场比赛中取得的，之后他们直到这场比赛的第一回合才取得一场真正的胜利。

世界排名第120位的哈萨克斯坦在世界杯预选赛小组中垫底，两次与2020年欧洲杯四分之一决赛的乌克兰战平，但也在法国客场以0 - 8失利。

这个横跨大陆的国家上一次赢得主场比赛是在2019年6月，当时圣马力诺队造访努尔苏丹。