The friendly match between Baku-based club Neftchi and Kazakhstan’s Kairat, which will take place today, January 9, during a training camp in Abu Dhabi (UAE), will mark another chapter in the rich history of the rivalry between the two clubs that began back in the Soviet era, Idman.Biz reports.
If all official USSR competitions are taken into account, including the league championship, the USSR Cup and the USSR Federation Cup, the teams have played 70 matches against each other. With the addition of the friendly game held on January 18, 2008, during a training camp in Antalya that ended in a 2:2 draw, today’s match will be the 72nd meeting overall.
In official matches of the Soviet period, the advantage in wins slightly favors the Almaty club: Kairat recorded 29 victories, while Neftchi won 25 times, with another 16 matches ending in draws. The goal difference is also very close at 87:86 in favor of Kairat.
If only USSR league championships (top and first divisions) are considered, the teams played 64 matches. In those games, Kairat claimed 27 wins, Neftchi secured 23 victories, 14 matches ended in draws, and the overall goal difference stands at 73:72 in favor of the Baku side.
Neftchi’s biggest win in this rivalry was recorded on July 14, 1987, a 6:0 victory in the USSR Top League. Kairat’s largest success dates back to October 10, 1991, when the Almaty club won 5:1 in the USSR First League. That match was the last official meeting between the clubs. After the collapse of the USSR, the teams met only once, in the aforementioned friendly match in Antalya.
It is also worth noting that Kairat are the champions of Kazakhstan for the 2025 season, while Baku’s Neftchi currently sit seventh in the Azerbaijan Premier League standings.
The upcoming match will kick off at 17:00 Baku time.
Teymur Tushiyev
