“Everyone watched”: Kairat reacts to Satpayev's debut for Chelsea

Photo: instagram.com/d.satpayev// © Tengrinews.kz / Marzhan Kuandykova/

Tengrinews.kz — Kairat Almaty head coach Rafael Urazbakhtin revealed that the entire coaching staff watched Dastan Satpayev's debut for Chelsea, citing Championat.com.

The 17-year-old club academy graduate made his debut for the London side yesterday in a match against Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers. The Kazakhstani youngster scored his first goal for the team by the sixth minute.

"We all watched the Chelsea match — both the coaching staff and the players. As a staff, we were pleased that last year’s circumstances forced us to use Dastan as a left winger," the coach stated.

According to him, Satpayev did not immediately embrace the new position, but ultimately, that is where he is being utilized both for the Kazakhstan national team and Chelsea.

"In the academy, throughout all the youth teams, he played as a pure 'number nine' — a striker. Here, it turned out that we began using him on the left. It was a new experience for Dastan. He probably wasn't always comfortable there, but he tried his best nonetheless. The national team also used him on the left flank.

Yesterday, the coaching staff thought, 'It’s a good thing we played him there.' We were glad he gained experience in that position. Dastan scored in his typical fashion; if Satpayev finds himself in the center with open space, he is difficult to stop. He scored many such goals for us," the specialist noted.

Satpayev is a product of the Kairat youth system. He made his senior team debut in 2024 at the age of 16, playing his final match for the club on June 17.

During his time there, he managed to score 26 goals and provide 10 assists, breaking numerous records. For instance, he became the youngest goalscorer in the history of the Kazakhstan national team and the first Kazakhstani to score a goal in the Champions League league stage.

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Satpayev's Chelsea Debut

On July 28, the winger — who was signed by the English club last year — was named in the starting lineup for the first match of the team's preseason tour of Australia and Asia.

The Kazakhstani spent 63 minutes on the pitch, netting a goal and playing a key role in the team's second scoring attack. Chelsea fans took to social media to express their admiration for the youngster, urging the club's management to keep Satpayev in the first-team squad.