From Kazakhstan it's on to Italy and the next leg of the Euro 2020 double-header.

Rimini is the base for the squad and from there it's a short hop over the border to the land-locked micro nation of San Marino.

Before flying out, there was a bit of filming to be done, gathering reaction from a despondent Tartan Army, while in stark contrast, the locals were celebrating not only a famous win but a national holiday.

Nauryz, which means 'new day', marks the Persian New year and it is celebrated over several days from March 21, the Spring Equinox.

Our waitress at breakfast in the hotel was dressed in traditional Kazakh costume and serving up some delicacies including kumys, a drink based on fermented horse milk and baursaks, tiny doughnuts.

We left Kazakhstan at 8pm local time and after a five-and-a-half hour flight, arrived in Rimini at 9pm. And after Thursday's result, it was a long day, in more ways than one.