That Was The Team That Was: Kazakhstan 3-0 Scotland

The XI who started the beginning of the end for Alex McLeish

Build-up and preparation to kick-off

The first match of 2019 a chance for Scotland to set off their UEFA Euro 2020 hopes as they took on a side ranked 117th in the World and who had won only one of their past 20 qualifying matches in Kazakhstan.

Scotland came into the new year on the back of finishing top of their UEFA Nations League group and promotion to League B, this meant that Alex McLeish's side had already secured a playoff spot for Euro 2020 but with two automatic qualifying places up they were intending that the playoff would be a good backup.

Aside from Kazakhstan, Scotland were drawn with Cyprus and San Marino in their qualifying group but also had Belgium and Russia. Both sides impressing as the Belgians finished in third place in the 2018 World Cup and the Russians were one of the surprises of their home tournament as they made it to the Quarter-Finals and knocked out Spain on penalties in the Round of 16.

Scotland knew that the qualifying group could be tough and needed a positive result in Kazakhstan to get their hopes of qualifying for a first major tournament since 1998 on the right track. Month's earlier; Alex McLeish's reappointment as the Scotland manager did not go down well with the majority of the fanbase. McLeish walked out on the National Team once before in 2007 to join Premier League side Birmingham City, just one day after attending the FIFA World Cup qualifying draw in South Africa. Many fans had still not forgiven McLeish and did not believe that he should have been the successor for Gordon Strachan, who narrowly missed out on securing a World Cup playoff in his final match in charge. But many were still willing to support McLeish in his quest to return Scotland to the World and European stages.

An absolute disaster

International football is sometimes an unforgiving environment and this case, Scotland completely crumbled under the pressure. They were 2-0 down after only 10 minutes on the clock and Baktiyor Zainutdinov made it 3-0 to the hosts just after half-time and truth it could and probably should have been more for the hosts.

85' | Kazakhstan go chasing a fourth. Substitute Muzhikov shoots straight at Bain. [3-0]

— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) March 21, 2019

Scotland were second best on the night; their first shot on target was in the 55th minute but by then Kazakhstan already were 3-0 up. Scotland were 2-0 down after 10 minutes for the first time since 1975. The 90 plus minutes in Astana is argubly Scotland's most embarrassing result in their history.

Days later following this result, and a poor follow up performance away in San Marino, meant it was the end for Alex McLeish and the beginning of a new era for the National Team.

NEWS | Alex McLeish to leave Scotland National Team.https://t.co/yedPQgsmlq

— Scottish FA (@ScottishFA) April 18, 2019

Only twelve games in charge of his second spell in charge at the National Team, winning five and losing seven with a total win percentage of 41.7%. McLeish came in and got one key objective completed; finishing top of the UEFA Nations League and securing a play-off spot for Euro 2020. But the peformances and results overall in his 14 month spell meant that Scotland were once again looking for a new manager.

Kilmarnock boss Steve Clarke took up the reigns and was in task of picking up the players. What followed in the months and years ahead has been massive improvement; the end of the qualifying campaign seen Scotland finish in third place but managed to qualify for the delayed Euro 2020 Championships via the Nations League playoff, defeating Serbia on penalties after a dramatic night in Belgrade.

The XI

But what about the players of the night? Some of them would go on and make it to Euro 2020 along with Euro 2024 and also be in with a chance of making it to the FIFA World Cup in June this year. For others, international appearances and callups have been more than sparse.

Scott Bain

Celtic's Scott Bain started the match in Astana after earning the number one shirt for Brendan Rodgers' side after returning from their winter break in the early stages of 2019. It should have been a dream moment for Bain as the match was his start for his country but it proved to be a nightmare for the then 27-year-old, conceding three goals against the side ranked 117th in the World. But he should not be too disappointed personally as Bain was not at any fault for any of the three goals scored.

Callups have been few and far between after this double header in 2019 for the goalkeeper but after a successful move to Falkirk in 2025, Bain is now back in the Scotland squad having been called up to the final World Cup qualifiers v Greece and Denmark in November 2025 and was recalled for this month's friendly double header v Japan and the Ivory Coast.

Liam Palmer

Having made over 200 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday, right-back Liam Palmer was awarded a first senior Scotland callup at the age of 27. But the fullback's first senior start was one to forget, despite not being too much at fault for any of the three goals scored on the night.

Palmer would be a regular pick for Steve Clarke's early days as the Scotland manager, being part of the squad that qualified for Euro 2020 on that dramatic night away in Belgrade against Serbia. But the form of Stephen O'Donnell and the mergence of Rangers' full-back Nathan Patterson meant that he did not make the final squad for the tournament and last involvement came three months before the tournament, as an unused substitute v Austria at Hampden in March 2021.

David Bates

After impressing in 2018's November double header v Albania and Israel, Hamburg's David Bates was given his third senior cap for this match but, like his defensive partner on the night, failed to deal with Kazakhstan's forward players and was caught out for the second goal when Alexander Merkel was picked up from a long ball over the Scotland defence.

Bates played the next qualifier away in San Marino but has never been called up by Steve Clarke and his tenure. The defender is now back in and around the Standard Leige team after he picked up a serious injury in his debut season.

Scott McKenna

McKenna broke into the Scotland team in Alex McLeish's first squad in his second spell as manager, after being a mainstay in the Aberdeen team following his return from a loan spell with Ayr United in 2017. In only his fourth cap he was named captain as Scotland lost out to Mexico in a friendly in June 2018.

A night in Astana to fully forget for McKenna but the defender has since went on to transform his international career; becoming a squad regular under Steve Clarke and was named in the squads for Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 and is most definitely in contention of a World Cup callup after impressing for record Croatian champions, Dinamo Zagreb, this season.

Graeme Shinnie

The Aberdeen captain, won his first cap in May 2018 in a friendly v Peru and was selected to play at left-back for the match in Astana, after playing most of early Dons career as a holding midfielder. However his first and only competitive Scotland cap was a disaster and Shinnie would admit in the aftermath that he was at fault for Kazakhstan's first goal of the night and that he would be unlikely ever to start for the National Team again, once captain Andy Robertson and Celtic defender Kieran Tierney were to return to from their injuries, which kept them out of this match.

Shinnie was recalled for Scotland's squads in June and November in 2019 but has never again been selected or capped ever again.

John McGinn

A successful clog in Steve Bruce's Aston Villa side which was impressing in the Sky Bet Championship, McGinn had been successful in Scotland squads before in particular earning the man of the match award in his first start and cap v Denmark in 2016. McGinn earned his twelfth cap on the night but could not impress or influence the midfield in Astana.

McGinn has gone on to become one of Scotland's most important and key players, earning callups to Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 and looks a certainty to be in the World Cup squad in May and June and is currently joint fourth in the all time list of capped men's national team players.

Callum McGregor

Already becoming a highly important player within the Celtic team, Callum McGregor was rewarded with the captain's armband in Astana ahead of the match in what was only his ninth senior appearance for his country. Like McGinn, McGregor could not influence the midfield on the night.

McGregor retired from Scotland duties after Euro 2024 after 61 appearances for Scotland. Around Christmas in 2025, it was reported that McGregor could have been in line for a Scotland recall ahead of the World Cup but as he was not called for the March friendlies v Japan and Ivory Coast, it looks as though we have seen the last of the Celtic captain in a dark blue jersey.

Stuart Armstrong

Cap number twelve for the Southampton midfielder, who was playing in the Premier League at the time. But like his fellow midfielders, he could just not get in control of the game, however Armstrong was one of Scotland's brighter players of the night as he was denied by Kazaskhstan number one, Dmytro Nepohodov, from a certain goal.

Like his fellow midfielders on the night, Armstrong would go onto be capped in Euro 2020, appearing in all three matches, and Euro 2024. He would also be capped in Scotland's UEFA Nations League wins over Croatia and Poland in November 2024 but has not been called up since.

James Forrest

Scotland's in-form player heading into the match in Astana. Forrest scored five goals in the final UEFA Nations League matches of 2018, including a hat-trick v Israel at Hampden Park. But like the rest of the influential players on the night, Forrest could not perform in the fixture and was subbed off in the final 10 minutes of the match being replaced by Hibernian striker Marc McNulty.

Like McKenna, McGregor, McGinn and Armstrong, Forrest would be the last of the game's starters to make the final squad of Euro 2020 as well as being called up to Euro 2024 have an excellent end of the 2023/24, although he did not feature in any of the matches in Germany.

Oli Burke

Only a third Scotland start for the then Celtic attacker but again, and like many already mention, simply could not get to grips with the match and did not show his quality and pace on the night.

Burke scored an important late winner for Scotland in Steve Clarke's first match in charge, v Cyprus in June 2019. The attacker was in the squad during in the early days of Clarke's era, including being an unused substitute in Belgrade in the Euro 2020 playoff v Serbia.

His last Scotland cap came v Israel in November 2020 and has not been called up since. Burke is statically the fastest player currently playing in Germany's top flight, with many fans calling for his return to the squad in order to bring pace and energy into the forward positions.

Oli McBurnie

Impressing in the Sky Bet Championship for Swansea City; Oli McBurnie was awarded a first competitive Scotland start for the match in Kazakhstan but failed to bring his club form into international level.

Like Burke, McBurnie featured throughout Clarke's first couple of years in the job and was part of the squad who defeated Serbia in the Euro 2020, scoring a penalty kick, in the shootout. Without influencing much on the pitch, McBurnie has been capped 16 times and has not scored a goal for Scotland. His last cap came v the Faroe Islands in March 2021 and did not do enough to make it to the final Euro 2020 squad. McBurnie has been a frequent scorer for Hull City in the Championship in the current season but has not done enough for a full Scotland recall.

In conclusion, 13 players who were part of this squad for the double header v Kazakhstan and San Marino would go onto either be capped or featured in the final squad of one of the two European Championships that Scotland qualified for under Steve Clarke. A successful pick-me-up after the disappointments which occurred in this fixture.