For the first time in 12 years, Kazakhstan has seen a change in the leadership. It was made by Aktobe Women, the only third team to win the national championship after the domination of BIIK-Shymkent (also know as BIIK-Kazygurt, and previously Alma-KTZh) and a brief period where SShVSM were the main contenders. The team made a great effort to win three points clear ahead of the rivals after an intense fight for the title, uncertain until last matchday of the season.
Aktobe Women: a shortview on the team
Italy has discovered Aktobe Women when they faced Roma in the Second Round of UEFA Women’s Champions League qualification tournament. Despite the 2-0 lost, the Kazakhs took some great points to learn from their opponents, carrying them into the final part of the season. 2nd in 2024, as it seemed the first season as the First Team was installed, they reversed the verdict by beating BIIK-Shymkent inflicting them the only defeat of the year.
That 3-2 at Matchday 15 the 27th of July totally changed the history of Kazakhstan’s Football League, and the 0-0 registered between the actual champions and Tomiris-Turan – 3rd force in the final classification and a former participant in the biggest European competition – was just a little stop that added a little anxiety for the season finale, that was handled very well. Winning the title means that Aktobe will participate in Champions Path of next Champions League, so they could have a great chance to try to qualify for the League Phase.
The project
Without any further information of the project, we can try to compare Aktobe Women‘s path to that of Riga FC Women, which positioned themselves as the actual reference for Latvian’s championship, with the will of become a bigger club on the European stage. They were born in 2024, at least officially as women’s sector of the main brand, and suddenly have reversed some years of history so the future can be interesting for them.
The most important thing now is to understand that for the bigger step it is needed the bigger attention on what parts of club, facilities and staff develop to be ready for the new season, most of all that which will start at the end of July. Women’s football needs those steps and those teams as well both in Champions League and Europa Cup: it means that also the smaller nations have found the opportunity to invest in the growth of the movement.
