Modern history knows many examples of how state institutions prefer to deny obvious facts, creating a parallel reality. Turkmenistan became an example of this approach during the coronavirus pandemic. Despite people falling ill and dying, the republic's official statistics still claim: not a single case of COVID-19 was registered in the country throughout the entire pandemic.
Kazakhstani football demonstrates a similar model of behaviour. International organisations provide irrefutable data on the scale of corruption, experts point to the systemic nature of the problem, participants in events make public admissions, but the official position remains unchanged: fixed matches in Kazakhstani football do not exist. At least, formally.
In the last 10 years, not a single fixed match has been officially recognised in the republic. Results have remained unchanged, referees have avoided disqualification even when suspected of corruption, and criminal cases under the article on sports fraud have never been opened. This statistic would look impressive if it were not for one circumstance: according to international monitoring organisations, Kazakhstan is among the world leaders in the number of suspicious matches.
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL SHAME
The figures provided by the international company Sportradar, which conducts annual studies on sports integrity, leave no room for interpretation. In 2022, Kazakhstan ranked 4th in the world for the number of suspicious matches, with 43 such games identified. This statistic confirms international recognition of the scale of a problem that has long been hushed up at the national level.
Majilis deputy Abzal Kuspan recently cited statistics which take on particular significance in the context of international data:
‘For 18 football clubs over 6 years, more than 200 billion tenge of budget funds were spent, and Kazakhstan is at the very bottom of the FIFA world rankings.’
These figures illustrate not merely the inefficiency of investment, but also the systemic corruption of a model in which colossal financial resources not only fail to produce sporting results but also contribute to the development of corrupt practices.
UEFA actively cooperates with Sportradar in the fight against fixed matches. The analytical systems of this organisation have recorded suspicious activity in Kazakhstan's First and Second Leagues, where, according to European statistics, most suspicious matches occur.
ADMISSIONS FROM INSIDE THE SYSTEM
The admissions from insiders within the system are particularly alarming. Yermukhamed Maulen, a former press secretary for the national team and a representative of the Kazakhstan Football Federation (KFF), openly stated that club directors themselves approach referees and participate in fixed matches, adding that ‘everyone in Kazakhstan plays along’. Such revelations from officials point to the systemic nature of the problem.
The scheme operates according to a well-established algorithm: club managers initiate arrangements, communicating the desired result to referees; officials and match officials receive instructions and guarantee the required outcome; and bookmakers provide financial motivation through a system of betting.
From the players' admissions, it becomes clear that participants receive direct instructions: ‘We were called and told, “play so that no one kicks the ball out. Everything is decided.”’ In other cases: ‘We knew the result exactly before the match — everything was calculated with the bookmakers.’
The Kazakhstan Football Federation has also become involved in these processes. Adilet Barmenkulov, who served as president of the KFF until 2024, came under suspicion from UEFA of organising fixed matches. His activities are linked to creating an atmosphere of impunity, which contributed to the flourishing of corrupt schemes.
However, all this data, these admissions and international suspicions remain without an adequate response from the Kazakhstani authorities. Denying obvious facts does not solve the problem, but merely confirms the unwillingness to acknowledge the scale of corruption in national sport.
To be continued...