Kairat U19

Every academy in Kazakhstan has an intake of teenagers hoping to reach a first team; what sets Almaty's apart is that Kairat built two separate training grounds to feed it, one named for T. Segizbaev opened in 2014 and a second under E. Pekhlevanidi three years later. The U19 side that plays out of the Segizbaev academy stadium is the visible end of that investment.

Domestically the results have been one-sided. Kairat's under-18s have won the Freedom QJ League Division A three years running, from 2023 through 2025. Europe has been a harder examination. In the 2025/26 UEFA Youth League Champions Path, the side finished 28th of 36, though a win over Olympiacos U19 and a draw with Copenhagen U19. An earlier European campaign, in 2021/22, produced wins over APOEL U19 and Žilina U19.

The clearest measure of an academy is not the trophies its junior sides collect but who comes out the other end. Kairat's has sent a steady stream through: Dastan Satpayev, Mansur Birkurmanov and Olzhas Baibek are among those who moved from the academy pitches into the senior team that plays in front of the Almaty Central Stadium.

Zhora Arutyunyan took charge of the U19s for the 2025/26 season, tasked with closing the gap that showed up against Europe's better academies.