Kazakhstan set for EURO debut
Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Article summary
Kazakhstan have named their squad for their UEFA European Championship debut - a UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying tie away to Group A rivals Belgium on 16 August.
Article body
FC Astana midfielder Denis Volodin is the solitary newcomer in the Kazakhstan squad for their UEFA EURO 2008™ Group A qualifier away to Belgium on 16 August, Kazakhstan's first senior international match in UEFA competition.
Baltiev included
Volodin, 24, is part of a 21-man party named by coach Arno Pijpers, who has selected almost exclusively Kazakhstan-based players. FC Moskva midfielder Ruslan Baltiev is the only expatriate involved but is short of match practice. Kazakhstan joined UEFA in 2002, having previously been part of the Asian Football Confederation, and first competed against European teams in 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying.
Kazakhstan squad
Goalkeepers: Yuriy Novikov (FC Shakhtyor Karagandy), David Loria (FC Astana), Alexandr Mokin (FC Astana).
Defenders: Aleksandr Familtsev (FC Tobol Kostanay), Samat Smakov (FC Kairat Almaty), Aleksandr Kuchma (FC Astana), Maxim Zhalmagambetov (FC Astana), Kairat Utabayev (FC Kairat Almaty), Yegor Azovskiy (FC Astana).
Midfielders: Ruslan Baltiev (FC Moskva), Andrey Karpovitch (FC Kairat Almaty), Andrei Travin (FC Alma-Ata), Anton Chichulin (FC Astana), Nikita Khokhlov (FC Astana), Eduard Sergienko (FC Astana), Dias Kamelov (FC Astana), Kairat Ashirbekov (FK Aktobe), Denis Volodin (FC Astana).
Forwards: Nurbol Zhumaskaliyev (FC Tobol Kostanay), Maxim Azovskiy (FC Astana), Murat Tleshev (FC Astana).
