Make benefit glorious footballing nation of Kazakhstan
Here’s a story that’s appeared in several publications, but this example is from the BBC Sport website. It tells how football fever and dreams of World Cup glory have gripped Kazakhstan at a time of great national progress and development. Whether that can be translated into sporting success is another matter:
Kazakhstan blinded by World Cup fantasy
This is a national side that has been in existence for 16 years, who won a paltry single point in the last round of World Cup qualifying.
Undeterred, Kazakhstan have set their sights on the ultimate prize of reaching South Africa in 2010 and that is what 49-year-old Dutchman Arno Pijpers believes was the principal reason behind his sacking as coach in September.
“I think that is what the leadership of the football federation is thinking at the moment, I really do,” Pijpers told BBC Sport.
“It is not going to happen, absolutely no way. I told them this, that in a group with Croatia, England, Ukraine and Belarus, it is impossible but they will not listen.” Read full story here…