Kazakhstan football team to play against Russia

On the threshold of the elimination tour of the world cup 2006 the Kazakhstan football team will play a friendly match August 18 with the Russian team on the Kostanai stadium corresponding with European standards, KZ-today has been advised in the Football Union of Kazakhstan.

"On the eve of the first world cup 2006 elimination tour match with Ukraine in Almaty, our footballers will play against a team of Russian clubs. Moreover the game will take place in Kostanai. The Kostanai province football federation assured us that the stadium was completely prepared for the game," - FUK vice president Tlekbek Akpayev.

The game in Kostanai against the Russian team will become a dress rehearsal before the start of the world cup elimination tour. You are reminded that Kazakhstan for the first time in history will play in this tour under the auspices of the Union of European Football Association (UEFA). Our rivals will be Turkey, Denmark, Greece, Albania, Georgia, and Ukraine.

This year the Kazakhstani footballers will play four games: on September 8 with Ukraine in Almaty; on October 9they will play in Turkey; on October 13 with Albania in Almaty. On November 17 the Kazakhstani national team will play with Greece - the European cup-2004 champions.