Astana Hosts Training Program on Football Talent Identification

29 November 2025, 19:21

The first training course on football talent identification has kicked off in Astana, organized by the Kazakhstan Football Federation with the support of FIFA.

The educational program is conducted with the participation of KFF Technical Director Gennady Skurtul and Head of Elite Youth Football, Talent Identification and Scouting Evgeniy Sveshnikov, who oversee the implementation of the national Talent ID system and the development of Kazakhstan’s future scouting network.

The event is part of the global FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS) and is integrated into the KFF Football Development Strategy for 2025–2030.

The training brings together regional scouts, youth national team coaches, specialists from the KFF Academy, and representatives of regional training centers. Among them are Ruslan Baltiev, Igor Shpanera, Dmitriy Vasiliev, Ivan Azovsky, Vladimir Nikitenko, Stanislav Pogorelov, Vitaliy Astafyev, Nurzhan Abildaev, Bauyrzhan Sagyndyk, Bulat Yesmagambetov, and Sergey Pak.

The program’s main expert is FIFA Talent ID specialist Steve Morrow, known for his long-standing work at the Arsenal Academy in London and more than 25 years of experience in European football.

The main goal of the training is to establish a unified national Talent ID system in Kazakhstan, enabling a structured and high-quality selection process for promising players, strengthening youth national teams, and creating a sustainable network of regional scouts.

Within the course, participants study FIFA’s player assessment methodology, development parameters for footballers from U-10 to U-21, the FI-TE-TA-ME indicators, principles for analyzing potential and current skill level, and the selection algorithms for regional training centers and youth national teams.

Special attention is given to building a new KFF scouting system, including an expanded network of regional representatives, the integration of the EasyCoach digital ecosystem, and the creation of a national database of promising footballers – the Player ID Bank.

The practical segment of the training takes place during matches of the Talent ID Cup, organized by KFF and serving as a key element of the 2025–2030 Talent ID development strategy.

Participants observe U-12 players, compare footballers by playing functions, conduct group analysis, and create individual profile cards that will be added to the nationwide platform.