This summer, I returned to Almaty with a simple goal: to stay in shape and prepare for my upcoming football season in the United States. I have played football since the age of six, and have trained in countries such as Spain, France, Italy, and the U.S. So, I believe I can express my opinion about how the football industry in Kazakhstan compares to those of other countries. What I found in Kazakhstan was a broken system that barely functions and a football culture that is failing to provide the support necessary to develop the next generation of athletes.
Starting with the infrastructure, there are virtually no pitches near where I live that are open to the public, and the few that exist require rental fees that most people cannot afford. I believe football should be a sport accessible to everyone, as its simpleness is one of the reasons of its popularity. Since there were no fields where I could individually practice, I decided to look for a team that I could maybe play on, but I quickly found out that almost all youth teams in Almaty are for players younger 16. Once a player hits that age, there are no real development options unless they’ve already been recruited into a professional academy. For everyone else there is no real way to play on a higher level.
The root of this crisis lies in Kazakhstan’s complete lack of football infrastructure and organization at the youth level. Unlike in Spain, where every club no matter how small is registered into a local or regional league and plays matches weekly, Kazakhstan has no such structure for most players. In Barcelona I played for a small local club, yet we still had games twice a week and we were part of a league with real standings. Because of that every game had high stakes and kids gave their best and thus developed their skills. In Kazakhstan, games are rarely scheduled. Coaches are often left to organize scrimmages themselves, and I remember, often, only playing games once or twice a month. There are no leagues for most players, and no consistent opportunities to gain match experience. Without regular competition, it’s impossible to gain confidence and match experience.
Facilities are another major issue. The quality and availability of pitches in Almaty and in most parts of Kazakhstan is far behind that of other countries. In Spain, France, or Italy, football fields are everywhere, and they are almost always open to the public. The pitches are safe, the turf is well-maintained, and the facilities include clean locker rooms and dining areas. Even at clubs that weren’t considered elite, the environment was professional and supportive.
In Kazakhstan, on the other hand, my friends and I struggled to find anywhere to play. Eventually we found a turf pitch, that we had to rent out. The field was in horrible condition with patches of turf sticking out and concrete laying right below it. Such conditions are dangerous to play in as they can cause injuries. In general, most regular pitches are built from cheap turf that breaks down after a year or two, making the surface uneven and dangerous. Locker rooms, when available, are often in poor condition, containing unsanitary showers, broken toilets, and a lack of basic amenities. Almost no facilities have dining halls or recovery areas. These off-field aspects are almost as important as the on the field ones.
Having played in a club in Kazakhstan as a kid, I have met many amazing talented kids that eventually quit football because of the lack of support and infrastructure. This makes me sad as Kazakhstan has a lot of talented youth whose talents are wasted. Instead of developing these talents and have them play professionally, we rely on bringing foreign players to our leagues, often overpaying them, taking away money that could potentially be spent on our youth. Even with the lack of infrastructure we can see talented players rising through the cracks, like Dastan Satpayev who was recently signed by Chelsea for a record-breaking deal. Imagine how many more players Kazakhstan could potentially have if youth football was treated more seriously.
I believe that Kazakhstan has a real chance at becoming a solid country at football. With the right management the Football Federation can improve all the thing that I talked about above. There is a generation of kids waiting, training, and dreaming. It’s time they were given a real chance.
Eden Dushekenov
