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David’s tough times in Kazakhstan.
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National defender Aubrey David is getting some breathing space away from the rigors of club football in Kazakhstan. The 24 year old player, who has 22 international appearances for this country, has to be on top of his game for Premier Division club Shakhter Karangandy as they are battling relegation at the moment.

The club itself has a rich history, being the first and one of two clubs from Kazakhstan to reach the group stage of the UEFA Europa League. The also shocked Celtic 2-0 in the first leg of a UEFA Champions’ League group stage qualifier but lost the second leg.

Kazakhstan is the only Central Asian country to play in Europe. It joined UEFA in 2002 after competing for 10 years in the Asian Football Confederation.

“It’s a difficult period for the club at the moment. We are in a relegation battle at the moment and we have just a few games left in the season. Personally my position is okay but of course the main thing is for us to dig deep and see if we can salvage something. The club is known as one of the best in Kazakhstan but this season we dropped off and it has been a struggle for the most part,” David said.

“Now coming into the national team allows me to re-focus on international football again and it’s always a joy to play for the country. This game against Mexico is just another opportunity for us to test our ability as a team and to get more familiar with playing top teams on the international stage. 

“This is the purpose of being out here, trying to improve every day and get ourselves ready for the World Cup qualifiers. I have every bit of faith that we can pull it off and go on to greater things.”