North Macedonia Claims Top Spot in World Cup Qualifying Group J with Victory Over Kazakhstan

Aleksandar Trajkovski, North Macedonia’s second-highest all-time goalscorer, netted the only goal in the first half as the Lynxes secured a 1-0 victory over Kazakhstan at the Astana Arena, keeping their unbeaten record (W2, D2) intact in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification (WCQ).

In their inaugural competitive meeting, the visitors started strongly with Ezgjan Alioski forcing a spectacular save from Mukhammedzhan Seysen. Blagoja Milevski’s side quickly threatened the scoreboard again.

Eljif Elmas unleashed a long-range shot that Seysen expertly deflected, followed by an impressive save against Darko Churlinov’s attempt from a tight angle.

However, Kazakhstan almost claimed the lead against the run of play shortly after the 15-minute mark, with midfielder Galymzhan Kenzhebek striking a brilliant shot that rattled the left post, narrowly missing the goal.

As the half-hour mark approached, Kazakhstan began to ramp up the pressure.

Still yet to make a save prior to this, Dimitrievski made his presence known with a fantastic stop to deny Askhat Tagybergen’s effort destined for the top corner.

Despite Kazakhstan’s pressure, Macedonia pounced on their opportunity in the 33rd minute. Trajkovski, recalled to the starting eleven, marked his return in style, unleashing an unstoppable shot that beat Seysen, giving the visitors a deserved lead.

After a relatively uneventful restart, the match ignited in the 58th minute when Kazakhstan struck the woodwork for the second time with Maksim Samorodov’s powerful long-range shot. The hosts continued to apply pressure soon after, with Dimitrievski making a smart save to deny Nuraly Alip’s effort from the same distance.

To settle any nerves for Macedonia, Enis Bardhi forced Seysen into making his first save of the second half. Despite the pressure, Macedonia managed to hold on, successfully building on their recent 1-1 draw against Belgium.

Currently, Macedonia leads Group J temporarily, pending the outcome of Wales’ match against Belgium later on, and heads into a three-month international break with eight points from their four games.

In contrast, Kazakhstan remains in third place with only three points and faces a challenging path ahead if they wish to rewrite their history, having never participated in a major international tournament since gaining independence in 1991.