Sherkhan Kalmurza arrives in England: details
Kazakhstan’s U-21 national football team arrived in London to play two qualifying matches for the U-21 Euro on the British Isles. On September 25, Kazakhstan will face England in Wolverhampton, after which the team will travel to Cork for a match against Ireland.
What are the team’s goals in Euro Qualifying
After the first seven matches, Kazakhstan’s U-21 team has earned only four points in qualifying and sits last in the group. Both England and Ireland proved stronger in away matches.
Only a big win over England would leave the team with a theoretical chance of continuing the fight for a place at the European Championship.
To take second place, Kazakhstan would also need to defeat Ireland and Moldova away, while England would have to lose all its remaining matches.
View this post on Instagram
Post from Kazakhstan national football team (@kff_team)
Who is Sherkhan Kalmurza
Kazakhstan’s U-21 squad includes the country’s most popular goalkeeper and one of its best-known footballers — Sherkhan Kalmurza.
The 19-year-old goalkeeper made his debut for the U-21 national team in friendly matches against Belarus in June 2026, conceding one goal in each game.
As a reminder, the Kairat goalkeeper became known across the country last year, when he had to quickly go from youth team goalkeeper to first-team player in Champions League matches.
View this post on Instagram
Post by Sherkhan Kalmurza (@kallmurza)
At the age of 18, the goalkeeper started in matches against Sporting and Real Madrid, made several impressive saves and earned respect from both fans in Kazakhstan and opponents.
His Instagram account currently has 272,000 followers. Among footballers from Kazakhstan, only Dastan Satpayev has more followers. Satpayev is a Chelsea player currently on loan at Burnley.
View this post on Instagram
A post by Burnley Football Club (@burnleyofficial)