Our team travelled to Turkey on Thursday for a one-week training camp, where from Sunday to Thursday we will play friendlies every other day against opponents from Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic and Kosovo. After the 2–1 win over Soroksár, Sunday brings our second test before the spring campaign, against Shakhter Karagandy, who finished fourth in Kazakhstan’s second division.
Our squad:
As for the full squad, Bonifác Csonka and István Pekár could not travel to Antalya because of illness, while Ákos Sigér missed out through injury. Ádám Szamosi, however, has been able to take part in full training since the start of preparations, and our new signing Kevin Varga is also available. Several academy players are included in the 26-man squad: alongside Ádám Nyers, who has already made his senior debut, Lőrinc Papp and Teó Balázs are also part of the group.
About our opponents:
Karagandy have been champions of their country twice in their history and also won the Kazakhstan Cup in 2013.
The team were relegated from the top flight in 2024, and their spring-to-autumn league season only recently ended. They missed out on returning to the highest division by just two points. The Karagandy side finished fourth with 16 wins, 5 draws and 5 defeats, while Maxim Galkin was their leading scorer with thirteen goals.
The squad consists exclusively of domestic players, and from January new head coach Dmitriy Olgai has the opportunity to prove himself on the bench.
Kispest history with Kazakhstan opposition:
For the first time in the history of our Turkish training camps we will face a team from Kazakhstan, although we already met one of the country’s clubs in competitive action 18 years ago. In the 2008 Intertoto Cup we eliminated Zhetysu 6–3 on aggregate: we won 2–1 away through goals from Zoltán Hercegfalvi and Gellért Ivancsics, then 4–2 at home thanks to Genito, Smiljanic, Abraham and Bojtor. That same summer Shakhter Karagandy also faced Hungarian opposition, with DVSC eliminating them 2–1 on aggregate in the UEFA Cup.
2008/09: FC Zhetysu–Honvéd 1–2 (Our scorers: Hercegfalvi, Ivancsics)
2008/09: Honvéd–Zhetysu 4–2 (Our scorers: Genito, Smiljanic, Abraham, Bojtor)
Another interesting fact is that two members of our 2017 title-winning team later played in Kazakhstan: Patrik Hidi represented Yertis Pavlodar, while Márton Eppel played for Kairat Almaty, who are currently in the Champions League league phase. Eppel also scored against Shakhter.
At senior international level Hungary have faced Kazakhstan only twice. In 2014 Ádám Gyurcsó and in 2018 Szilveszter Hangya appeared in the national shirt in those matches. In the former fixture, Bálint Vécsei, who came through the Magyar Futball Akadémia, also made his first senior international start.
Sunday’s match will be broadcast live on our YouTube channel from 14:00 Hungarian time.
Our full schedule in Turkey and the travelling squad can be viewed here.
FRIENDLY 2025/26 – WINTER
January 18 (Sunday), 14:00
SHAKHTER KARAGANDY–BUDAPEST HONVÉD FC
Belek, Turkey
