The Tartan Army’s first foray into Kazakhstan will go down as a momentous occasion on more than one count.
History was already in the making ahead of the first meeting between the two sides since Kazakhstan declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, with its membership of Uefa having been in effect since 2002.
The fixture will take on added significance however, as the first match to take place in the newly renamed Kazakh capital city of Nursultan, which changed from Astana only yesterday following the resignation of the country’s president Nursultan Nazarbayev earlier this week.
With Nazarbayev having presided over Kazakhstan during the entire duration of its sovereignty, the decision from his successor Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has proven extremely popular throughout the nation’s 18 million population.
Should Alex McLeish oversee an expected victory for the Scots, ranked 40th in the Fifa world rankings, over Kazakhstan who occupy 117th, the Scotland boss will claim the unique honour of being the first international manager to secure three points from Nursultan.
It adds to what was already a fresh adventure in Kazakhstan, in more than one sense.
A chilling reality was thrust upon the Scots fans who stepped off the plane I travelled on when it finally touched down in Astana – as it was at the time – early yesterday morning after a total of more than seven hours in the air.
The bracing -12 temperature at 6am may have been an extreme first impression but not too misleading.
At the time of writing it has yet to break above 0 – a severe test of the bravery of the kilted warriors who prefer the bolder variation of the national attire.
The impact of the oil and gas industry on this central Asian nation is palpable, with a multitude of plush skyscrapers dominating the skyline and many more under construction.
From what little I have seen thus far, most of the city’s social amenities appear to be confined within large malls, making the Tartan Army’s presence less noticeable than in previous trips.
That will not be the case inside the 30,000 Astana Arena however, where roughly 600 Scots are expected to descend this evening.
I was highly impressed when I visited the indoor stadium, pictured, for the first time yesterday and I have no doubt the visiting supporters will make themselves heard – even more so if the national team can get the European Championship 2020 qualifying campaign off to a flier.
