Football
Wales vs Kazakhstan Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction
Date: March 22, 2025 Kickoff Time: 19:45 (UK Time) Venue: Cardiff City Stadium SportsBoom previews the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group J match between Wales and Kazakhstan at the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday, 22 March 2025. With the match on the horizon, now is the ideal time to prepare for success. Our expert preview provides all the crucial insights and stats, enabling you to place well-informed bets at the best online football betting sites.
Neco Williams of Wales celebrates scoring his team's second goal//Getty Images
Wales begin their journey to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Making only their second appearance at the 2022 edition in Qatar after 64 years, the Dragons disappointingly finished bottom of their group behind England, USA and Iran.
Under the stewardship of manager Craig Bellamy, Wales will be aiming to qualify and give a better account of themselves, boasting a new style of play.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan, on the other hand, is looking to go back to basics and win matches of football, coming into this clash with a six-game losing streak in whereby the Hawks failed to score a single goal.
PRE-GAME ODDS AND WIN PROBABILITY
WALES ARE SHORT-PRICED FAVOURITES
HOME: 19/100 (1.19) – 84%
DRAW: 580/100 (6.80) – 14,7%
AWAY: 1300/100 (14.00) – 0,8%
*Odds courtesy of Betway, subject to change
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
No previous meetings.
Last Five Matches - Wales
- 19/11/24: Wales 4-1 Iceland
- 16/11/24: Turkey 0-0 Wales
- 14/10/24: Wales 1-0 Montenegro
- 11/10/24: Iceland 2-2 Wales
- 09/09/24: Montenegro 1-2 Wales
Last Five Matches - Kazakhstan
- 17/11/24: Norway 5-0 Kazakhstan
- 14/11/24: Kazakhstan 0-2 Austria
- 13/10/24: Kazakhstan 0-1 Slovenia
- 10/10/24: Austria 4-0 Kazakhstan
- 09/09/24: Slovenia 3-0 Kazakhstan
WALES: CURRENT FORM – WDWDW
Manager Craig Bellamy aims to continue where he left off, unbeaten in six matches since taking over the reins of the Dragons. Finishing top in League B (Group 4) ahead of Turkey, Iceland and Montenegro in the UEFA Nations League was the best possible start to his tenure.
Giving belief to supporters that Wales could qualify for consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments for the first time in their history after making a cameo appearance in the group stage of the eventful 2022 Qatar edition.
Bellamy has implemented a new style of play that encourages possession-based football, moving away from the tried and tested ideology used by English and Welsh teams of the past. These changes have yielded massive improvements, visible by the eye test and recent results.
Wales are unbeaten from their last three matches at the Cardiff City Stadium, sharing the spoils with Turkey in a goalless draw, prior to claiming wins over Montenegro (1-0) and Iceland (4-1).
KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Brennan Johnson: The Tottenham winger has earned the favour of manager Bellamy after impressing for his club this season. Starting in five of the six matches since the arrival of the new coach, the 23-year-old will be a pivotal figure in the reconstruction of the Dragons. Johnson last scored for Wales against Iceland and has found the net 14 times for Spurs this campaign.
- Kieffer Moore: The 195cm striker is a force to be reckoned with, especially in aerial duels with his height giving him a massive advantage. The Sheffield United forward is en route to helping his club return to the English Premier League. Last scoring on this ground for his club against Cardiff City, Moore will be hoping to improve his goal-scoring tally for Wales.
- Neco Williams: The former Liverpool defender found a new home at Nottingham Forest, becoming a regular starter under coach Nuno Espirito Santo. Williams has been key to elevating his club to possibly qualifying for the UEFA Champions League next season. Equally efficient in both attacking and defending from full-back areas.
WALES TEAM NEWS
Captain Aaron Ramsey (hamstring injury) along with Fulham winger Harry Wilson (fractured foot) and Leeds United’s midfield maestro Ethan Ampadu (knee injury) are the biggest omissions in the Welsh squad set to face Kazakhstan and North Macedonia.
Manchester United academy graduate Tom Lawrence (currently at Rangers) is expected to deputize in midfield during Ramsey’s absence.
“I’ve been trying to get Tom involved in the last couple of camps but he’s been injured. We’ve been in contact and we’ve been waiting for the right moment to bring him in.” stated Bellamy
“He has a good understanding of the game. Good discipline. He’ll definitely add to the squad.”
KAZAKHSTAN: CURRENT FORM – LLLLL
Kazakhstan make a near 4000km journey to Cardiff under the guidance of new manager Ali Aliyev in his first match in charge of the Hawks. The need for change was evident following their dismal showing in attempts to qualify for the UEFA Nations League.
They lost all six group-stage matches against Norway, Austria and Slovenia without scoring a single goal in the process. Kazakhstan come into the clash winless in 11 matches, last tasting victory over fellow minnows San Marino (3-1) and Turkmenistan (2-0) both on home soil.
Besiktas midfielder Bakhtiyor Zaynutdinov inspired the Hawks’ last win on enemy territory with his two goals away in Helsinki against Finland (1-2), making the difference for Kazakhstan. Seated 110th in the latest FIFA rankings, largely due to their inability to find the back of the net, doesn’t bode well for their chances.
It will be difficult to unlock the defence against 29th-ranked Wales who have most of their players plying their trade in the top two tiers of English football, known for being defensively resolute.
KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Bakhtiyor Zaynutdinov: The striker is Kazakhstan’s top goal scorer. If anyone breaks the drought for the Hawks, Zaynutdinov will surely be involved in scoring or assisting.
- Maksim Samorodov: The 22-year-old midfielder earned a move to Russian club Akhmat Grozny earlier this season. His last goal for his nation came in the victory away at Azerbaijan.
- Abat Aimbetov: The Adana Demirspor forward scored in three consecutive Turkish Lig matches against Goztepe, Besiktas and Hatayspor last December, but has failed to be as consistent in recent months.
KAZAKHSTAN TEAM NEWS
Dastan Satpaev made headlines after Chelsea signed the 16-year-old wonderkid from Kazakhstan Premier League champions Kairat Almaty. With the lack of goals being the primary issue, coach Aliyev might look to the young Satpaev to solve their problems.
During their preparations, Aliyev stated that both FC Tobol defender Roman Asrankulov and Astana striker Ramazan Karimov arrived late to the camp after picking up minor injuries for their clubs.
PREDICTED LINE-UPS
Wales; 4-3-3: Ward; Roberts, Rodon, Davies, Williams; Allen, Lawrence, James; Johnson, Moore, Brooks.
Kazakhstan; 4-4-2: Pokatilov; Astanov, Kasym, Alip, Vorogovskiy; Chesnokov, Tapalov, Tagybergen, Samorodov; Zaynutdinov, Aimbetov.
SUGGESTED BETS
The leading football betting sites have an extensive selection of betting opportunities and their generous welcome bonuses will give your first deposit a powerful boost.
Anytime Goalscorer - Kieffer Moore: The Sheffield United striker is in fine form for his club, fully expected to make his mark on home soil. (45/100 with Betway) (44/100 with Stake) (43/100 with BetWinner)
Anytime Goalscorer - Brennan Johnson: Bagging himself an assist and goal against Iceland during the 4-0 win on this ground, Johnson is another firm favourite to find himself on the scoresheet. (49/100 with Betway) (51/100 with Stake) (50/100 with BetWinner)
Wales To Score in Both Halves – Yes: It’s well worth the punt having a go at this option seeing as Kazakhstan have failed to keep a clean sheet in all six of their last competitive matches. (83/100 with Betway) (82/100 with Stake) (83/100 with Bettilt)
VALUE BETS
First Goalscorer - Kieffer Moore: There is an element of risk to this bet but it’s highly likely that given the current injuries, coach Bellamy will encourage Johnson to get crosses onto the head of Moore, possibly resulting in an early first goal. (70/100 with Betway) (67/100 with Stake) (69/100 with BetWinner)
Wales Win To Nil- Yes: Seeing as Kazakhstan has failed to score in recent matches, this option makes perfect sense. (74/100 with Betway) (72/100 with Stake) (73/100 with N1Bet)
Wales To Win Both Halves - Yes: In search of the most value, we locate this bet – needing Wales to win both halves to be successful. (236/100 with Betway) (235/100 with Stake) (237/100 with BetWinner)
PREDICTION: WALES TO WIN
Very little is expected from the Kazakhstan team who have struggled under the previous management. Considering key members of the Wales setup are sidelined due to injuries, opportunities will be presented to the young players in the squad to pick up their hands.
Nevertheless, the home team are fully expected to get their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign off on the right footing by signalling their intent with a thrashing of Kazakhstan. For those exploring markets for this game, checking out the top online betting sites could help find the best odds available.
Bryan is a passionate sports writer with a focus on football and cricket. While he loves top leagues like the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, and the Premier League, he also covers lesser-known leagues, offering previews and tips for sports betting sites.
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