Grozny's Akhmat secured a home victory over Voronezh's Fakel 2-1 in the second round of the group stage of the Russian Cup for the 2026/27 season, reports infohub.kz.
The match took place at the Akhmat Arena and ended in a win for the hosts. Russian forward Georgy Melkadze opened the scoring in the first minute, and Angolan midfielder Egash Kacintura doubled the lead in the 31st minute. The visitors could only respond with a goal in stoppage time, as Russian midfielder Ilnur Alshin scored in the 90+5th minute.
Kazakhstan national team winger Galymzhan Kenzhebek started for Akhmat and was substituted in the 61st minute. During his time on the pitch, he recorded neither a goal nor an assist, nor any disciplinary sanctions. Another forward for the national team, Maksim Samorodov, was not included in the matchday squad.
The win in regular time allowed Akhmat to collect four points after two rounds and top the group standings. For the Grozny side, managed by former Kazakhstan national team head coach Stanislav Cherchesov, this is their first victory of the season.
Fakel, with no points, sit at the bottom of the group. The group also includes Moscow's Dynamo and Krasnodar, who will face each other on August 19.