Irtysh Pavlodar avoided a cupset by coming from behind to defeat SD Family 2-1 in the Kazakhstan Cup on March 19, 2025. The Premier League side was given a serious scare by their lower-league opponents before showing their quality to advance. SD Family took a shock lead in the first half, converting a penalty to stun the home crowd at the Pavlodar Central Stadium. Irtysh piled on the pressure after the break and finally found an equalizer through a scrappy goal from a corner. With the threat of extra time looming, Irtysh's superior fitness told, as they scored a late winner to finally break SD Family's brave resistance. The victory sees Irtysh Pavlodar move into the next round, but they will know their performance must improve. The Irtysh manager credited the opponent's fight but was relieved his team found a way to win. The SD Family coach was immensely proud of his players' effort against professional opposition.