Stanislav Cherchesov, the head coach of the Kazakhstan national football team, shared insights on the player selections for the upcoming training camp and UEFA Nations League matches against Austria and Slovenia, discussed his trips to regions as part of the "ALAN" project, and shared his assessment of the futsal team's performance at the World Cup.

 

– Mr. Cherchesov, several experienced players—Abzal Beysebekov, Islambek Kuat, Sergey Maly—were not included into the final roster. Could you explain the rationale behind this decision? 

 

– Some players from the previous training camp will not be participating this time around. This decision is not due to any concerns, issues, or dissatisfaction. Everyone performed exceptionally well, and I was completely satisfied with their efforts. The issue is that we need to enhance our teamwork and achieve results. As such, careful player selection is essential. If we don't include players of a similar caliber, we won't be able to fully grasp each player's potential. We called up certain players for the previous camp because they stood out in some ways. This time, we've invited different players to have a chance to assess them too. The skill levels of both sets of players qualify them to represent the national team. Thus, we aim to clearly determine whom we can count on moving forward.

 

– For the previous training camp, you invited young goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov from the U21 team as the fourth goalkeeper. Will this trend continue?

 

– He was with us at the previous camp, where we had the opportunity to assess his potential. He has important matches ahead with the U21 team against Spain and other teams. This will give his career a boost. lso, regarding the U21 team, during the first training camp I was assisted by specialists from the U21 coaching staff - Konstantin Gorovenko and Yeldos Akhmetov. Now they are transitioning from the U21 team to the national team on a permanent basis.

 

– We can see new names in the final roster —Zhan Ali Pairuz, Andrey Ulshin, Adilbek Zhumakhanov, and Ular Zhaksybayev. Could you comment on their inclusion? What impressed you about these players?

 

– Last time, we opted for different players, but there have been changes since these young men have shown great promise, and we believe they will be valuable to the team. We will have the chance to see them in action and further evaluate their capabilities. Moreover, our coaching staff has been keeping a close eye on the U21 team. After previously calling up Temirlan Anarbekov, we've now invited young defender Adilbek Zhumakhanov, who recently played in the Cup final. We make it a point to give attention to every promising player.

 

– We also see that Aslan Darabaev and Artur Shushenachev are back in the squad. Could you share some insights about these players?

 

– Aslan Darabaev has returned after an injury. Initially, he was not at his physical best. However, in recent games, he has been in the starting lineup and has made significant contributions. It's no coincidence that "Yelimay" is at the top of the league table. We invited him back to see how his experience and professional qualities could benefit us. We believe he will prove valuable, and we will continue to evaluate him during the training camp.

 

As for Artur Shushenachev, he has been on our radar, but he had limited playtime in Israel, mainly appearing as a substitute. We are familiar with his capabilities and have also reviewed his past matches. Now, he has transferred to "Sochi" and is getting regular game time. At the last camp, we had Karimov and Omirtayev, now we'll look at Shushenachev. I would like to reiterate that we were pleased with all the players. However, there remains a need to personally assess the qualities of other footballers.

 

– How will the preparations for the upcoming games be organized? How satisfied are you with the players' game practice in their clubs?

 

– Now that borders are open, many teams boast a sufficient number of foreign players, and the competition can be quite tough. There are times when national team players do not play for their clubss, which is certainly frustrating. However, this issue is not unique to us; other national teams face the same challenges. We try not to dwell on this too much. What matters most is the condition and mindset players bring to the national team and their readiness to represent their country. Everyone worked as one at the last training camp. The first match was more successful for us, both in terms of gameplay and result. In the second, we could not demonstrate everything we wanted. The long flight and having a match on the third day had an impact. But this is also part of our experience, which we will take into account.

 

We held a video conference with the club coaches, who we maintain regular contact with. We exchanged views and now I have a different picture formed. The discussion was different this time around since I had already interacted with the potential national team members. The dialogue with the coaches was productive, and we plan to continue these beneficial meetings regularly.

 

The training camp will take place in Austria. We chose this location to simplify logistics for players from Russia, Denmark, and other countries, allowing them to travel directly to Austria instead of flying back and forth to Kazakhstan. This saves at least one flight and a couple of days for preparation. I am grateful to the Kazakhstan Football Federation for organizing this camp, and I am optimistic that it will enhance our preparations.

 

– You have visited several cities to inaugurate new football pitches under the "ALAN" project. How significant is the implementation of such initiatives?

 

– I've been in Astana since September 23. Alongside KFF President Adlet Barmenkulov, I participated in the opening ceremonies of several pitches. I really wanted to personally participate in these events. It’s hard to truly understand a country, its mentality, and its people by staying only in Astana or Almaty. Traveling to the regions, particularly by car and over extended periods, offers a unique opportunity to see how people live and to engage with them directly. I've observed that although the cities are relatively close to each other, their mentalities differ. However, the universal trait across these locations is the warmth and friendliness of the people.

 

Many projects start as mere concepts on paper, including the one the federation is now vigorously executing. I can see how the head of the federation diligently oversees the process, ensuring that all 20 pitches are completed on schedule. There's professional football and then there's amateur football, which supplies the professional level with fresh talent. Without adequate facilities or places to train, these pitches help pull kids away from gadgets and other harmful distractions. They go out to play football, improve their health, and develop physically.

 

In each region, we met with the regional governors akims to promote the development of football. It's crucial that we maintain this momentum and strengthen our infrastructure collectively to enable dynamic growth in Kazakhstan football. With the pitches now being constructed, our next focus is on developing stadiums.

 

I must also extend my congratulations to the Kazakhstan futsal team for what I consider a successful World Cup campaign. The emotions that swept through the country during the tournament, particularly after the win against Portugal, were unparalleled. I look forward to us achieving many more such victories in the future!