Kazakhstan will kick off their League B campaign in the UEFA Nations League with a match against Norway at Almaty on Friday. Norway enters this new tournament cycle with hopes of using the Nations League as a pathway to end their 25-year wait for a major tournament appearance. Under Stale Solbakken,
Norway begins its journey toward the 2026 World Cup with its first-ever match against Kazakhstan, aiming for a strong performance that could lead to a playoff spot. Norway faces competition from Austria and Slovenia in Group B3, with all four teams eager to prove themselves. To succeed, Norway must improve on its recent performances.
Kazakhstan vs. Norway: Stats & Head-to-Head
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The Norwegian fans still remember the disappointing end to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, where a late collapse against Scotland and a draw in Georgia cost them a place in the finals. Norway’s previous Nations League campaign also saw them falter late, despite a strong start.
They lost their final two games, ceding the top spot to Serbia, increasing the pressure on Solbakken and star players Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard to deliver results in the coming months. Solbakken will be looking to avoid consecutive defeats for only the second time as Norway’s manager, following a 3-1 loss to Denmark.
Kazakhstan, meanwhile, will be aiming to build on their recent progress. They nearly qualified for a major tournament for the first time since gaining independence after a strong Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, but they fell short and were defeated by Greece in the playoffs. Kazakhstan secured their place in League B by winning promotion from League C in 2022, with notable victories over Slovakia. Kazakhstan has lost all their matches in 2024 so far.
Team News
The squad includes only five players who play abroad, with two of them in Russia. Abat Aimbetov, one of the overseas players, aims to continue his scoring form after netting three goals in both the recent Euro 2024 qualifiers and the previous Nations League.
Key player Bakhtiyor Zaynutdinov is expected to play a crucial role but has yet to feature for Besiktas this season due to a recent injury. Norway’s captain, Martin Odegaard, will lead the team, supported by the prolific Erling Haaland, who has scored 31 goals in 33 caps and seven Premier League goals this season, including two hat-tricks for Manchester City.
Haaland is likely to be partnered with Alexander Sorloth, who earned a move to Atletico Madrid after scoring 23 La Liga goals for Villarreal last season. Both Haaland and Sorloth currently lead the scoring charts in Europe’s top leagues for 2024. Norway will be without Kristoffer Ajer, Fredrik Sjovold, and Osame Sahraoui due to late injuries, joining Oscar Bobb, who was sidelined with a serious injury before the season began.
Possible Starting Lineups
Kazakhstan: Shatskiy; Kairov, Bystrov, Marochkin, Alip, Vorogovskiy; Chesnokov, Kuat, Zaynutdinov, Orazov; Aimbetov
Norway: Nyland; Ryerson, Hanche-Olsen, Ostigard, Pedersen; Odegaard, Berge, Thorsby; Sorloth, Haaland, Nusa
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