The Astana Courier
Player ratings3 Aug 2026
Both of them Ramazan Kärimov's — 8.82
2 goals, and the second was the one that settled it. Marked 8.82, and he could have had a third with better luck at the near post.
Market3 Aug 2026
Astana say no — this time
The offer from Nizhniy Novgorod for Ramazan Kärimov was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.
Squad3 Aug 2026
14 seasons of Abzal Beisebekov
388 appearances across 14 seasons in these colours. Careers like that are not built any more, and Astana know what they have.
Player ratings3 Aug 2026
Vintage Marin Tomasov — 8.33
At 38 every good afternoon gets called a throwback, and this one was: 8.33, and nobody on the pitch better.
Squad3 Aug 2026
Marin Tomasov signs a new deal
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Marin Tomasov commits to Astana for another 2 years.
Squad3 Aug 2026
Karlo Bartolec in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Astana this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings3 Aug 2026
Stanislav Basmanov runs at them all day
Successful dribbles: 21. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Match1 Aug 2026
Astana get the job done against Zhetysu
A 3‑1 win over Zhetysu, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Squad3 Aug 2026
A row about effort at Astana
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Nikola Burić was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
In brief
- Transfer targets Door shut on Dušan Jovanović
- Market Talks stall between Astana and Kirill Danilin
- Market The clock runs on Karlo Bartolec's contract