Hungary vs Kazakhstan: Szoboszlai Shines Amidst Chaos
A falling camera, a captain’s response and a debut from Anfield – Hungary’s friendly with Kazakhstan had just about everything, and for a few alarming seconds, far too much.
The match in Debrecen will be remembered not only for Dominik Szoboszlai’s stamp of authority on a 3-1 win, but for a stadium malfunction that could have turned a low-key international into a disaster.
Chaos from the roof
Midway through the first half at the Nagyerdei Stadion, with Hungary still chasing the game, attention suddenly shifted upwards. A TV camera, suspended from the stadium roof by cables, began to smoke. Hungarian reports say a fire damaged the wire that held it some 20 metres above the pitch.
In the 26th minute, it gave way.
The heavy camera crashed down onto the turf, smashing into the ground just a couple of metres from a pitchside cameraman. For a moment, the football stopped and so did the noise. No players were struck. No supporters were hurt. It was sheer luck.
Referees and staff moved quickly to halt play as the wreckage was cleared. The incident left a scar in the grass and a chill in the stands, but once the danger had been removed, the game resumed.
Szoboszlai takes charge
Up to that point, it had not been a comfortable evening for the hosts. Hungary had fallen behind in the ninth minute, forced to chase a Kazakhstan side happy to test them on the break in what was supposed to be a routine friendly.
The response came from the man wearing the armband.
Szoboszlai, already central to everything Hungary do, dragged his side level early in the second half. The Liverpool midfielder found the net to restore calm and shift the mood inside the stadium, his influence growing as the minutes ticked by.
The pressure finally told again when Szoboszlai turned provider. He slipped in Andras Schäfer, who finished to put Hungary in front and tilt the contest decisively their way. From there, Marco Rossi’s side played with a freedom that had been missing before the break.
Bournemouth’s Alex Tóth added the gloss in stoppage time, striking in injury-time to seal a 3-1 victory that felt far more eventful than the scoreline suggests.
Anfield interest on and off the ball
Szoboszlai was not the only Liverpool connection on show.
Armin Pecsi, the Reds’ reserve goalkeeper, collected his first senior cap for Hungary after coming on just after the hour mark. The 21-year-old, who joined Liverpool last summer and is still waiting for a first-team appearance at club level, finally had his moment on the international stage.
He has already come close to an unexpected outing for Liverpool, almost being called into action against Crystal Palace at Anfield on April 25 when Freedie Woodman needed lengthy treatment in a game that arrived with both Alisson Becker and Giorgi Mamardashvili sidelined.
This time, there was no such drama for Pecsi once he entered the pitch. Hungary were already on top, and he saw out the closing stages behind a defence in control, his debut framed by the earlier chaos from above rather than anything he had to do with his gloves.
Milos Kerkez, another Hungarian with strong club pedigree, remained unused on the bench.
No World Cup, but no lack of edge
For Szoboszlai, Pecsi and Kerkez, this month will not bring the glare of the FIFA World Cup. Hungary failed to qualify, a frustration that still hangs over this generation.
Yet on a night that could have been overshadowed by a freak accident, Hungary’s captain delivered, his team-mates followed, and a young Liverpool goalkeeper quietly stepped into the international arena.
A friendly in name only, and a reminder that even when the stakes seem low, the margins – on and off the pitch – can be razor thin.
