Sports.kz, a leading sports website of Kazakhstan, published an analytical article about the country’s football and also discussed Abdulkodir Khusanov and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who have conquered Europe.
— While top-level football talents are emerging in neighboring countries and have already reached elite level, Kazakhstan remains in the shadows, hoping only for the future success of Dastan Satpaev.
The Sports.kz republican internet portal studied what was special about the paths of Abdulkodir Khusanov and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia compared to Kazakhstani footballers.
First of all, it should be noted that for a long time in the countries of the former USSR, except Russia, true world-class football superstars who play in the strongest clubs of the world practically did not appear. One of the few examples in the past decade was the Armenian Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who truly played in big clubs, however he did not manage to take his national team to the main stages of major international tournaments, and among his main trophies were the Serie A title and the Europa League.
As for today, the most outstanding figure in the general background is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who plays for French PSG. By the age of 25, he has already managed to win the UEFA Champions League, become the best player of Serie A with Napoli, and lead the Georgian national team to Euro 2024. Uzbek player Abdulkodir Khusanov is three years younger than the Georgian, but already represents Manchester City, where he regularly appears on the pitch, including in big matches. Among his main achievements are the FA Cup and victory in the AFC Youth Cup, as well as a debut appearance at the World Cup in the summer.
And here appears their first similarity — they were able to stand out already at youth and junior level in their countries. In Khusanov’s case, Uzbekistan actively promoted a strong youth generation — he was a key player in the U-20 national team, playing all matches without substitution at the Asian Cup, which became a triumph for his team. At that time, many were already talking about the talented youth of Uzbekistan to follow in the future.
Khvicha played for all Georgian youth national teams, but stood out most in the U-17 category — 27 matches and 15 goals. Thanks to such statistics, not even against the weakest opponents, he quickly broke into the main squad of Tbilisi “Dinamo”, and later was sold for 180 thousand euros to “Rustavi”. In other words, both of them came to the attention of European scouts long before moving to top clubs, proving themselves at international youth tournaments. In Kazakhstan there were serious problems in this regard, considering the results of youth and junior national teams, although in the last two years the situation has started to improve.
Another important similarity — both Khusanov and Kvaratskhelia grew up in a football environment. Abdulkodir’s father, Hikmat Hashimov, is a former Uzbekistan national team player who played more than 200 matches in the domestic league. After his career, he became a coach. Khvicha’s father, Badri Kvaratskhelia, played for several top Georgian clubs and later also started a coaching career. In other words, their football thinking was formed not only in academies but also within the family. When Khusanov moved to “Lance”, media especially highlighted his game intelligence — ability to read situations, choose the right position, and make quick decisions. Obviously, this skill could have developed so early thanks to the environment he grew up in.
The most important factor that separates them from an ordinary Kazakhstani footballer is the rejection of comfort and a quick exit from local championships. Khusanov, although a product of “Bunyodkor”, did not play a single senior match in Uzbekistan. He did not wait for his chance and already at the age of 18 moved to Belarusian “Energetik-BGU”, where he immediately became a starter, playing 35 out of 39 matches.
Khvicha played a total of 33 matches in the Georgian league, 11 of which were in early 2022, when he was forced to leave Russia due to political circumstances. In other words, both players did not aim to stay long in their domestic leagues. They understood that to achieve big success, it is not enough to be the best in a local league, because transitions from there to top championships are rare.
From this perspective, in the Kazakhstan Premier League, players can remain “prospects” for years and earn high salaries even by European standards. In addition, the foreign player limit forces clubs to pay high wages to local players. In such conditions, not every player is motivated to leave stability and comfort.
Another important point is that they started their senior careers very early compared to Kazakhstani players. Khusanov was already playing regularly in Belarus at 18, while Khvicha at the same age recorded 3+3 in 18 matches for Rustavi. In Kazakhstan, it has been rare to see 18-year-old players consistently starting in their teams.
Based on previous factors, continuous growth of environment level is visible. The transitions of Khvicha and Abdulkodir were gradual, without extreme pressure. Each next step was a stronger league with tougher competition, forcing them to adapt and grow. In Kazakhstan, a player’s peak often comes in the domestic league, after which leaving at 27–28 becomes difficult, slowing development due to lack of new challenges.
Another important factor is having a clearly defined strong skill that can be “marketed”. Khvicha has a clear profile — dribbling, bravery, and ability to decide key moments without fear. Khusanov, on the other hand, is a fast and versatile defender who is aggressive in duels. Each of them has distinctive traits that attracted top clubs.
In Kazakhstan, players with their own style are rare. Mostly, even famous names are described as good by local standards, but without a standout feature.
For now, there are clear similarities with the path of Dastan Satpaev. At 16, he was already a regular in “Kairat”, became the league’s top scorer in 2025, received a call-up to the national team, and signed a preliminary contract with Chelsea. However, how effective this step will be for his career remains an open question.
