During the one-month training camp, Pyunik will hold the third friendly match.

Our next rival is the current champion of Kazakhstan, Ordabasy. For our next rival, this match is also the third one during the training camp; before facing us, Ordabasy lost in two matches with the same score, 0:1, against Prishtina (Kosovo) and Legia (Poland).

The history of the team begins at the beginning of the 21st century, when two clubs of the city of Shymkent, Zhiger and Tomiris, united and started performing with the name Ordabasy (formerly Dostyk). In a short period of time, Ordabasy took a path of wins and achieved serious success in the country. Today we are going to learn where the origins of our future rival come from and who colored the city of Shymkent.

​The origins of Ordabasy. first Zhiger, and then Tomiris

The first club of the city of Shymkent was called Dynamo Shymkent, which was created in 1949. Later, before dissolution, the team had 5 different names, but achieved the most significant success bearing the name Zhiger.

During the years of the Soviet Union, this team had no success in domestic championships, but after the collapse of the USSR, in 1992, Zhiger was included in the Kazakhstan championship.

After taking the 4th place in the first season, the team had bad times and soon they fall out of the top ten of the championship. In 1994 Zhiger reached the quarter-finals of the cup, but lost 0:1 to Shakhtar Karagandy.

​The launch of a constructive project

During the crisis, Ordabasy stopped participating in the country's main championship, but returned again in 2003.

The first golden page in the history of the Kazakh club was written in 2011, when they faced the reigning champion Tobol in the final of the Kazakhstan Cup, which was considered the favorite of the match. In the 40th minute of the game, Mukhtar Mukhtarov made an unstoppable header and helped Ordabasy make history.

A year later, Ordabasy won the second title; they narrowly beat Shakhtar in the final of the Kazakhstan Super Cup.

Eurocup road

Ordabasy has no significant success in European Cups. The team failed to advance to the second round in any tournament.

The representatives of the city of Shymkent finished their first experience in the first qualifying round of the Europa League with a victory over the Serbian Jagodina. But then the Kazakhs conceded to the Norwegian Rosenborg, losing 3:4.

Double success

In 2022 Ordabasy became the winner of the Kazakhstan Cup. The decisive match with Akzhayik turned out to be dramatic and ended 5:4. Elkhan Astanov scored a penalty kick in the 119th minute of the extra time and helped his team win the cup.

However, the main event in the club's history was to take place in the following year. In the 2023 season, Ordabasy stunned everyone and won the desired championship for the first time in its history after playing a series of 16 unbeaten games.

Offering a fight to the giants of Kazakhstan, 50-year-old specialist Alexandr Sednev and his boys left Astana behind. Ordabasy was also the most efficient in terms of goal difference, scoring 48 against 21 conceded.

The most effective player in the championship was Askhat Tagybergen, who scored 11 goals and 12 assists. And the best scorer in the history of the team is Daurenbek Tazhimbetov with 40 goals.

Legionaries and the national team

There are 10 legionnaires in Ordabasy, the average age of the team is 27.6.

The national team of Kazakhstan made an unexpected surprise in the qualifying round of Euro-2024, fighting for the playoffs until the last round. Three footballers from Ordabasy were invited to the national team of the country. Among them, Askhat Tagybergen stood out with one goal in the winning games against Denmark (3:2) and San Marino (3:0).

The current Ordabasy and what does Alexander Sednev offer?

The Belarusian specialist mainly sends the team to the pitch in a 3-4-2-1 formation. In most games Ordabasy takes the initiative and stands out for its attacking football. Sednev took the helm of the head coach of this team in January 2021. With the Kazakh club, the experienced specialist won the country's cup and championship.

Ordabasy held the last official match in November last year, losing to Tobol (0:1) in the final of the cup. Before that, it played the matches of the championship, where our rival celebrated three wins and suffered two defeats in the last 5 matches.