Kazakhstani Referees Appointed for UEFA Competitions

08 July 2026, 12:14

With the start of the new European club competition season, match officials from Kazakhstan have received UEFA appointments.

A team of match officials from Kazakhstan has been appointed for the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round match between Petrocub of Moldova and Egnatia of Albania. The match will be played on 8 July in Chișinău.

The officiating team will be led by referee Sayat Karabayev, assisted by Dmitriy Belogradov and Yuriy Tikhonyuk. Danil Gorda has been appointed as the fourth official, while Aidyn Tasybayev will serve as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

The appointment marks a milestone for Aidyn Tasybayev, who becomes the first official from Kazakhstan to be appointed as VAR for a UEFA Champions League match.

Nuno Castro, Director of the KFF Refereeing and Inspection Department, has also been appointed as a referee instructor for the 2026 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Wales.

On 3 July, Kazakhstan referee Tatyana Sorokopudova officiated her second match at the 2026 UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship final tournament, taking charge of the match between Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.