Kazakhstan’s national team faces a challenging adjustment period. After Magomed Adiyev’s success, where the team rose to Division B of the Nations League and reached Euro 2024 playoff stage, results have declined under new coach Stanislav Cherchesov.
The team has only earned one point with a goal difference of 0:8 in the current Nations League.
Expectations grew after Adiyev’s time, and fans quickly got used to success. However, under Cherchesov, there have been no wins so far. Hired with much anticipation and a high salary, results have yet to follow.
According to Adlet Barmenkulov, President of the Football Federation of Kazakhstan, main focus is on qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
Nations League is a preparation stage, a chance to experiment and rebuild. Cherchesov is trying to implement this approach, but many wonder how his team differs from Adiyev’s.
Kazakhstan still relies on solid defense, discipline, and counterattacks, just like before. However, the results aren’t the same, and for reason: Kazakhstan now faces much tougher opponents in the Nations League.
Austria and Slovenia are Euro playoff contenders, while Norway, although absent from the Euro, has a significantly stronger squad than Kazakhstan.
Under Adiyev, Kazakhstan also faced strong teams like Denmark but played more often against teams of similar or lower quality, like San Marino.
This balance helped Adiyev’s team gather points. The current group of Austria, Slovenia, and Norway offers far fewer opportunities.
Kazakhstan recently played Slovenia in Euro 2024 qualifiers, losing both times (1:2). Under Cherchesov, they’ve lost 0:3 away and 0:1 at home.
The issue isn’t just the results. Earning one point from four games in Division B isn’t a disaster, given the strong competition. Bigger question whether Kazakhstan can play differently—more creatively, more proactively, rather than always defending and playing on the back foot.
Both Adiyev and Cherchesov would likely want a more attacking team if they had the resources. Defensively, Kazakhstan stable with players like Nuraly Alip, Alexander Marochkin, and Marat Bystrov providing reliability. They’re not top-tier defenders but hold their own and are resilient.
Midfield however, is where the problems lie. Kazakhstan lacks creative players who can control the game. Destroyers are plenty, but playmakers are scarce.
Baktiyor Zainutdinov stands out, but he’s the only one at that level. He’s had limited club play with Besiktas, and last season he played mostly in defense.
Kazakhstan needs more players like Zainutdinov to improve its quality of play. Players like Maxim Samorodov from Akhmat and Ramazan Orazov from Silkeborg have potential, but they’re still adapting to new clubs and aren’t at Zainutdinov’s level yet.
