Neftchi Nurzhan v Tulpar Talas

The Kara-Ak derby

The Kara-Ak derby (Kara-Ak darbisi, the “Black–White derby”) between Neftchi Nurzhan and Tulpar Talas is the main fixture of Iradi football. It takes its name from the clubs' colours: Neftchi play in black and orange, Tulpar in white and crimson. Between them the two clubs have won 24 of the 31 league titles since 1994.

The clubs descend from two Soviet teams: Neftyanik Kobozev, founded in 1958 by the Iradneft oil trust, which played in the Soviet Second League, and Dinamo Talas, the team of the republican interior ministry. Their meetings in the republican cup of the 1970s and 1980s drew large crowds. Under the federation's naming rules of 1993 they became Neftchi Nurzhan and Tulpar Talas.

Neftchi won eight of the first twelve Irad League titles. Since 2015 Tulpar have been the stronger side, with six of the ten titles from that year. The fixture list traditionally ends with the derby on the last Saturday of October; in 2026 it is the final round, at the NurGaz Stadium on 31 October.

The derby is regularly the most-watched league broadcast of the year on IradOne Sport.

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Dates and decisions

  • 1993Under the federation's naming rules Neftyanik Kobozev becomes Neftchi Nurzhan and Dinamo Talas becomes Tulpar Talas.
  • 11 May 2014The derby at the NurGaz Stadium is abandoned in the 62nd minute after crowd trouble. The disciplinary committee bans away supporters from the fixture for two seasons.
  • 2015The federation adopts the Stadium Order Regulations, which ban pyrotechnics and chants insulting national dignity at every match.
  • March 2022The disciplinary committee fines Neftchi Nurzhan over banners displayed in the stand.
  • 2 March 2025At the Silk Road Arena supporters of both clubs display a joint banner, “Irad is not for sale”, in Russian and Iradi. The federation praises both sets of supporters.
  • 31 October 2026Final round of the 2026 Irad League: Neftchi Nurzhan v Tulpar Talas at the NurGaz Stadium, 18:00.