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If a nation's footballing prowess directly correlated with its size, then Kazakhstan would have the world's ninth-strongest team.

However, of the world's top 10 biggest countries by area, only Brazil and Argentina are any good, with the Kazakhs alongside the likes of India, China and Canada as countries that are as large as they are rubbish.

The country which is not - contrary to popular belief - inhabited solely by moustachioed men in dayglo mankinis, are currently ranked 131st in the world by FIFA, below New Caledonia and Equatorial Guinea, although they did crack the top 100 in 2001, when they reached the dizzy heights of 98th.

Since gaining independence from the dismantled Soviet Union in 1992, Kazakhstan have never qualified for a major tournament - either in Asia or in Europe following their incorporation into UEFA in 2002.

They have a decent defensive record - conceding 21 goals in 14 matches in a tough Euro 2008 qualifying group - but lack a cutting edge going forward. After three World Cup qualifiers, only Group 6 whipping boys Andorra are between them and the foot of the table.

The 3-0 opening win over the Pyreneen minnows has been followed by defeats in Croatia (3-0) and at home to Ukraine (3-1), a run that led to the sacking of Dutch coach Arno Pijpers.

Announcing Pijpers's sacking, Kazakhstan FA secretary-general Sayan Khamitzhanov displayed the ambition that saw the country leave the Asian conference for the more competitive one of Europe when he said: "How long should we endure it? We in the federation are ashamed of the existing situation and we all must apologise to the country's fans for it."

German Bernd Storck, the Kazakh Under-21 coach, has taken over as caretaker for the match at Wembley.

Storck spent his post-playing career as number two at several Bundesliga clubs before taking his first top job at FK Almaty in the Kazakh Super League, a job he still holds now.

He now finds himself preparing to face England, with a squad of players drawn almost entirely from their own domestic league.

However, that will not deter the German coach from trying to play good football, and he said upon announcing his provisional 27-man squad: "We will not play too deep as that would only make it easier for our opponents. We will play in an active defensive style, rather than being passive."

Missing from that squad are first-choice goalkeeper David Loria and Dynamo Moscow midfielder Andrei Karpovich. However, striker Sergei Ostapenko - the man who has scored three of Kazakhstan's four goals in this campaign - is in the squad.

Goalkeepers: Alexander Mokin (FK Almaty), Andrei Shabanov (FK Almaty), Vladimir Loginovsky (Esil-Bogatyr Petropavlovsk), Alexander Petukhov (Tobol Kustanai)

Defenders: Samat Smakov (FK Aktobe), Kairat Nurdauletov (Tobol Kustanai), Alexander Kislitsyn (Shakhtyor Karaganda), Alexander Kuchma (FK Astana), Vladimir Noskov (Irtysh Pavlodar), Alexander Kirov (FK Almaty)

Midfielders: Ruslan Baltiyev (Tobol Kustanai), Sergei Skorykh (Tobol Kustanai), Nurbol Zhumaskaliyev (Tobol Kustanai), Sabyrkhan Ibrayev (Tobol Kustanai), Talgat Sabalakov (Tobol Kustanai), Yuri Logvinenko (FK Aktobe), Anton Chichulin (FK Astana), Bekzat Beisenov (Ordabasy Shymkent), Tanat Nuserbayev (Ordabasy Shymkent), Vyacheslav Erbes (Vostok Ust-Kamenogorsk), Kairat Ashirbekov (Shakhtyor Karaganda), Vadim Borovsky (FK Almaty), Maksat Baizhanov (Kaisar Kyzylorda)

Forwards: Sergei Ostapenko (FK Almaty), Maxim Azovsky (FK Almaty), Gleb Maltsev (Irtysh Pavlodar), Erzat Kenbayev (Zhetysu Taldykorgan)

Tony Mabert / Eurosport