Kazakhstan Football Federation Presents Youth Development Strategy to FIFA

During his visit, Stephen Morrow was introduced to the activities of the newly established Talent Identification Department within the Kazakhstan Football Federation (KFF). Federation representatives presented the concept, structure, and functional tasks of the new division, including a digital portal designed to monitor and support young players. Stephen Morrow was also briefed on the overall state of Kazakhstan’s football system — covering youth competitions, regional academies, coach training programs, and the potential of the national teams.

As part of his visit, Stephen Morrow toured the training center in Talgar, where he observed tthe selection process for players born in 2011 at the KFF Academy. Additionally, he attended a match featuring youth teams born in 2012 and 2013 to personally assess the technical and tactical level of the younger age groups. These observations led to discussions on the criteria and approaches for scouting at early stages of player development.

The meeting was attended by KFF Technical Director Gennady Skurtul, National Teams Department Director Ruslan Baltiev, scouting department representatives Evgeny Svechnikov and Viktor Semenov, sports analytics experts Igor Shpanera and Dmitry Vasiliev from the QJ League, as well as the KFF Academy’s Talent Development Coach Vitaly Astafyev.

Stephen Morrow’s visit marks the beginning of a systematic effort to improve mechanisms for identifying and nurturing football talents in Kazakhstan. The next steps include educational workshops and practical training modules for specialists involved in scouting and youth player development. These initiatives are part of KFF’s strategic focus on enhancing the effectiveness of the scouting system and strengthening the talent pool for national teams.

Stephen Morrow is an international FIFA expert specializing in youth development and player selection strategies. Born in Belfast, he played professionally for Arsenal, Queens Park Rangers, FC Dallas, and presented Northern Ireland in 39 matches.

Following his playing career, he moved into coaching and management. He led FC Dallas in MLS and spent 11 years in leadership roles at Arsenal’s academy, overseeing international partnerships and the development of young talents including stars like Bukayo Saka.

Since 2021, he has served as Head of Player Selection and Talent Strategy at The Football Association (The FA), building collaboration systems between clubs and national teams in player recruitment.

Currently, Stephen Morrow is one of FIFA’s leading experts on the Talent Development Scheme program and collaborates with national associations worldwide, including Kazakhstan.