Goal Programme - The Football Union of Kazakhstan - 2001

Football is the most popular sport in Kazakhstan, a country that gained independence in 1991. Until 2002, the national association was part of the Asian Football Confederation, but then successfully applied to join UEFA. To date, the U-20 team recorded Kazakhstan's greatest success by qualifying for the FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria in 1999. Timur Segizbaiev, Kurvlbak and Ordabaiev are all famous names from the past, having represented the Soviet Union during the 1970s. The most famous club is Kairat Almaty, who played in the USSR top flight.

On 4 March 2002, the Goal Bureau approved an artificial turf pitch in Almaty. The offial opening of this facility took place on 27 October 2006. Work on the pitch was delayed by a number of factors, including frequent changes to the actual location and poor weather conditions during the initial phase of construction. The pitch will be the first of its kind in the whole country and will be a substantial boost for the national association, which will be able to use it to compensate for the lack of suitable facilities around the country. While this new pitch will be a welcome addition for the national teams, youth development work will also receive a timely boost, and the most talented footballers in each age group will use the facility for get-togethers.