Idman.biz
Stas Pokatilov, the goalkeeper of the "Sabah" football team, has become the focus of attention of the Kazakh press and football experts.
Idman.Biz reports that sports.kz analyzed the exclusion of the experienced goalkeeper from the expanded squad of the Kazakhstan national team for the matches against Armenia and Hungary, and wrote that the 33-year-old goalkeeper deserved to be invited to the national team this season.
The Kazakh goalkeeper has appeared in 30 matches in the Misli Premier League and has been on the field for 2700 minutes. He conceded 22 goals during this time. The most notable point is that Pokatilov is among the league leaders in the number of "dry" games. Together with the Portuguese Ricardo Fernandes, he kept his goal untouched in 13 matches.
The list of goalkeepers of the Kazakhstan national team includes Temirlan Anarbekov, Bekkhan Shayzada, Mukhamejan Seysen and Alexander Zarutski. Pokatilov has not played for the national team since the fall of last year. He last appeared in a friendly match against Belarus in June 2025.
Kazakh sports experts consider Pokatilov's exclusion a controversial decision. Because the captain of "Sabah" had one of the most successful seasons of his career, was the leader of the champion team and was selected as one of the strongest goalkeepers in the league according to statistical indicators.
Kazakh expert Bulat Yesmagambetov also highly appreciated Pokatilov's performance. He called the experienced goalkeeper the most successful Kazakh football player playing abroad:
"I believe that today Stas Pokatilov is the most successful Kazakh football player playing abroad. He made a "golden double" in Azerbaijan, becoming the champion and cup winner. He is the number one goalkeeper of Kazakhstan".
Yesmagambetov specifically emphasized Pokatilov's ability to control the defense, save the team and leadership qualities. According to him, "Sabah" achieved such great success precisely because it gained a reliable goalkeeper in the person of Stas.
The Kazakh media writes that Pokatilov could benefit the national team not from the point of view of a long-term future plan, but precisely according to the "now and here" principle. His experience, form and captaincy character could be a serious advantage for the Kazakhstan national team.
