Former European champions Celtic endured a bitter exit from the UEFA Champions League qualifiers on Tuesday night, falling to Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty in a penalty shootout after two tense, goalless encounters. The Scottish giants saw their campaign unravel from the spot as they failed to convert three attempts, with Daizen Maeda missing the decisive kick.
For Kairat, the victory marks a milestone — their first-ever appearance in the competition’s main phase. The Kazakh champions now join an elite list alongside Astana, who in 2015 became the nation’s first representatives at Europe’s premier club tournament. Goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov emerged as the hero, producing crucial saves during the shootout and earlier denying Celtic in extra time with a sharp stop from Luke McCowan’s effort.
It was not just Kairat who scripted history on a dramatic evening. Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt and Cypriot champions Pafos also secured maiden berths in the Champions League proper, each bringing unique storylines to this season’s expanded 36-team league phase.
Bodo/Glimt, semifinalists in last season’s Europa League, brushed aside Sturm Graz on aggregate despite a 2-1 defeat in Austria. Their emphatic 5-0 first-leg victory had already done the damage, ensuring Norway’s return to the Champions League for the first time since Rosenborg featured in 2007. The club from north of the Arctic Circle, with their modest 8,000-seater Aspmyra Stadion, now prepares to welcome Europe’s biggest names to one of the continent’s most remote venues.
Meanwhile, Pafos FC completed a fairytale run of their own. Established only 11 years ago, the Cypriot champions eliminated Red Star Belgrade — winners of the European Cup in 1991 — thanks to an 89th-minute equaliser from Brazilian winger Jajá. That strike sealed a 3-2 aggregate triumph and sparked wild celebrations in the coastal city, as Pafos became just the third Cypriot side to qualify for the tournament after Apoel and Anorthosis Famagusta. The club recently made headlines by signing former Chelsea and Arsenal defender David Luiz, adding a touch of stardust to their remarkable journey.
Celtic’s setback means they will drop into the Europa League alongside Red Star and Sturm Graz, but the night belonged to Europe’s newcomers. For Kairat, Bodo/Glimt and Pafos, the reward is a place in Thursday’s draw in Monaco, where they will join heavyweights such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and holders Paris Saint-Germain.
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