FC Okzhetpes

Although having finished only 9th in the 2008 Kazakhstan Premier League, the club gained entry to the first qualifying round of the inaugural season of the UEFA Europa League because of the denial of licenses by UEFA and withdrawal of higher placed teams. On 3 January 2019, Andrei Karpovich was announced as Okzhetpes manager for the 2019 Kazakhstan Premier League season.

Names

1957 : Founded as Torpedo 1990 : Renamed Spartak 1991 : Renamed Kokshetau 1994 : Renamed Kokshe 1997 : Renamed Avtomobilist and moved to Shortandy (Nur-Sultan suburb) 1998 : Renamed Khimik and moved to Stepnogorsk 1999 : Renamed Akmola 2000 : Moved back to Kokshetau 2001 : Renamed Esil 2004 : Renamed Okzhetpes Should not be mistaken with the defunct club FC Azhar also based in Kokshetau

Origin of name

The club takes its name from a cliff, Okzhetpes, which means 'an arrow won't reach'. According to fan club president Viktor Kruk: "Eighteenth century Kazakh ruler Ablai Khan could not decide which of his warriors to give a captive girl to and so allowed her to choose a husband for herself. She climbed to the top of the highest cliff and said she would marry whoever hit her shawl with an arrow. Nobody managed it."

Domestic history

Continental history

Notes 1Q: First qualifying round 2Q: Second qualifying round 3Q: Third qualifying round PO: Play-off round