Article by Mihai Șovei – Published Thursday, January 22, 2026, 2:03 p.m. / Updated Thursday, January 22, 2026, 2:03 p.m.
In the middle of this week, Kairat Almaty lost to him Club Bruggescore 1-4, in a Champions League match. During the game, three fans attracted attention with unusual clothing.
A court in Kazakhstan sentenced three supporters of the Belgian team to 5 days in prison for dressing up as Borat, a character from a movie set in the very country where the match was played.
Three Club Brugge supporters were arrested in Kazakhstan
One video shows three people wearing the green bathing suit that hangs from the neck, iconic to the Borat character. This comedy, released in 2006, follows the adventures in America of a fictional Kazakh journalist who portrays Kazakhstan as a backward country. During the trip from Astana, three fans thought they could pull off a stunt: despite the freezing cold, they repeated the character's name numerous times.
“Borat's ours, ole, ole,” could be heard from the guest sector.
Three supporters of the Club Brugge team were arrested in Kazakhstan / photo: @almatineec_live
In a statement issued on Thursday, a court in Astana said it had received complaints of disturbing public order against three Belgian citizens, who were sentenced to five days of administrative detention.
“While intoxicated in the stands of the Astana Arena stadium, the three supporters undressed, remaining in their underwear, thus disturbing public order, even during the match“, according to lequipe.fr.
The source of the costume inspiration
In 2006, actor Sacha Baron Cohen played the role of Borat, a journalist from Kazakhstan.
Jokes about this parody film, which also mocks American society, are rarely appreciated in Kazakhstan, a country that has been trying for years to combat the false image perpetuated by Borat. The film had in fact drawn the ire of Kazakh authorities, who banned its release upon release before acknowledging that it had contributed to the development of tourism in the Central Asian country.
