Ali Aliyev: "We’ll try to surprise Belgium"

The team arrived in Belgium yesterday. We’re glad there were no serious injuries after the Wales match. The long trip took a lot out of the players, with the flight lasting around seven hours. Now the most important thing is to recover both physically and mentally. There isn’t much time, so together with the staff and doctors we’ll do everything quickly. We’ll rotate the squad, and those who start will have clear tasks on the pitch. Overall, I’m happy with the team’s condition.

– Many fans praised Galymzhan Kenzhebek, but didn’t understand why you substituted him early.

– We have a strong group of young, ambitious forwards. Galymzhan proved that our choice was right. But we have a strategy for two games. We knew we would need him against Belgium, so we didn’t want to use him up completely against Wales. Some might say he could’ve finished the game and scored, but football is unpredictable. We took him off to make sure he’s ready for the next match.

– What’s the situation with Yerkin Tapalov, Islam Chesnokov and goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov?

– Yerkin has a serious knee injury and stayed home. I2slam and the others with minor injuries are getting better, we’ll try to have them ready. As for the goalkeepers – we have a strong group. But Temirlan has played three big games in ten days, including Champions League qualification. That’s a lot physically and mentally. We’ll see what the doctors decide tomorrow.

– In the last game, the team attacked more after halftime. What did you tell the players? And what changes should we expect against Belgium?

– Nothing special. I always say: if you’re called up for the national team, motivation shouldn’t be a problem. We just asked the midfield to push higher and support Samorodov, Kenzhebek and Satpayev. Orazov and Kasabulat did this very well, and and it forced Wales into mistakes. Against Belgium, we’ll have more tactical adjustments. In the evening, we’ll show the players how Belgium plays and prepare a few surprises.

– How is Nuraly Alip after his clash with a Wales player?

– He’s fine. He worked really hard, even made a few runs into the opponent’s box, which caused cramps. He asked for a substitution to avoid injury. He’ll recover and be ready.

– What gives Kazakhstan a chance to beat Belgium?

– Discipline, organization, and team spirit. You can feel it growing every training session. The players face any opponent without fear, and the last four official matches showed that. We just lacked a little luck, but with this approach, victories will come.

– What do you expect from the game against Belgium?

– Everyone knows their level. I expect a bright, uncompromising match.

– Which Belgian players do you see as the biggest threat?

– In that team, every player is strong and qualified. I won’t single anyone out – they all deserve respect.