Rafael Urazbakhtin
Encyclopedia
Rafael Urazbakhtin is a retired footballer from Kazakhstan
. Urazbakhtin played as a forward and played for ten different clubs in his fifteen-year career, as well as making twelve appearances for the Kazakhstan national football team
between 1998 and 2004. He spent the vast majority of his career in Kazakhstan
, but left the country in 2001 to play for FC Rostov
in Russia
.
, then known as FC Kainar. That season, the club were relegated from the Kazakhstan Premier League after finishing in ninth place, with Urazbakhtin scoring once in twenty-two appearances. This relegation caused the forward to move to FC Ulytau
. However, he only managed to make nine appearances for his new club before Ulytau folded and Urazbakhtin was forced to look for his third team in just two years. He joined FC Kairat, based in Almaty
. The club finished third in the Kazakhstan Premier League in 1997, with Urazbakhtin scoring four times in seventeen games. He would spend a total of four years at FC Kairat and 1998 proved to be his most successful year at the club. He scored five goals in fifteen appearances as Kairat finished second in the Kazakhstan First Division
. Despite this, Urazbakhtin gradually fell out of favour, only making one appearance in 2000, his final year in Almaty
. However, he would return to the club in 2008.
ahead of the 2001 season and played thirteen games as they finished twelfth in the Russian Premier League
. Urazbakhtin then moved back to Kazakhstan
to play for Yelimay Semey, now known as FC Spartak Semey. However, he failed to make a single appearance for the side as they finished eighth in the Kazakhstan Premier League. This lack of first-team football understandably lead Urazbakhtin to move to FC Aktobe
in 2003. Aktobe had only recently been promoted from the First Division
, but this didn't stop Urazbakhtin enjoying the most successful season of his career, netting nine goals in twenty-four games for an average of more than one goal every three games. Aktobe finished fifth in the 2003 Kazakhstan Premier League and improved on this in 2004, claiming fourth place. However, Urazbakhtin failed to emulate his success in the previous campaign, making sixteen appearances but failing to find the net. As a result, he was transferred to FC Zhetysu
, the club where he had begun his career. He scored twice in twenty games in 2005 as Zhetysu finished fifteenth in the Premier League, before moving on to FC Shakhter Karagandy. He failed to score for Shakhter in twenty-nine appearances in 2006, despite becoming a regular first-teamer at the club. In 2007, Urazbakhtin joined FC Kyzylzhar
, where he witnessed a return to form, scoring four times in twenty-three appearances. However, this didn't prevent the forward from rejoining former club FC Kairat in 2008, and he only managed one goal in nineteen games for his new club, before moving on to the similarly-named FC Kaisar
in 2009. Kaiser struggled that season, finishing thirteenth in the Premier League, and Urazbakhtin only scored once in twelve games. Despite being the penultimate season in his career, Urazbakhtin reached the twilight of his career in 2010, scoring once every three games on average for FC Vostok
and equalling his best season goal tally. He stayed with Vostok for the 2011 season, but could only manage one goal in twenty-two games before retiring in October.
in a 2-0 loss to Iran
in December 1998 in the 1998 Asian Games
, while he was playing for FC Kairat. He would also play in Asian Games matches against Thailand
and Lebanon
, coming on as a second-half substitute in all three games. Rafael had to wait until April 2001 for his next international call-up, playing against Nepal
in a 2002 FIFA World Cup
qualifier and scoring Kazakhstan's third goal in a 6-0 win. He also played in 2002 World Cup qualifiers against Macau
and Iraq
, before again scoring against Nepal
in the return fixture on 21 April. The striker's final three caps for Kazakhstan came in 2006 FIFA World Cup
qualifiers against Ukraine
in September, Albania
in October, and Greece
in November.
Urazbakhtin played his last game for Kazakhstan in the 3-1 loss to Greece
on 17 November 2004.
On 3 October 1999 Urazbakhtin played in a 2000 Sydney Olympics second-round qualifier against Thailand
, coming on as a substitute in a 0-0 draw. As the game was a qualifier for an Olympics tournament, Kazakhstan sent their under-23 team to compete, and as Urazbakhtin was only 20 years old at the time, he was called up to the under-23 side.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
. Urazbakhtin played as a forward and played for ten different clubs in his fifteen-year career, as well as making twelve appearances for the Kazakhstan national football team
Kazakhstan national football team
The Kazakhstan national football team represents Kazakhstan in international men's association football and is directed by Football Federation of Kazakhstan. They split from the Soviet Union national football team after independence in 1991 and joined the Asian Football Confederation's Central and...
between 1998 and 2004. He spent the vast majority of his career in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, but left the country in 2001 to play for FC Rostov
FC Rostov
FC Rostov is a Russian football club based in Rostov-on-Don, Rostov Oblast. The club are currently members of the Russian Premier League and play at the Olimp – 2 stadium.-History:...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Early career
Urazbakhtin began his career in 1996 with FC ZhetysuFC Zhetysu
FC Zhetysu are a Kazakh football club based at the Zhetysu stadium in Taldykorgan. Founding members of the Kazakhstan Premier League, they missed five seasons because of relegations.-Name History:*1981 : Founded as Zhetysu...
, then known as FC Kainar. That season, the club were relegated from the Kazakhstan Premier League after finishing in ninth place, with Urazbakhtin scoring once in twenty-two appearances. This relegation caused the forward to move to FC Ulytau
FC Ulytau
FC Ulytau are a defunct Kazakhstani football based in Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. They were members of the Kazakhstan First Division.-Name History:*1967 : Founded as Yenbek*1975 : The club is renamed Gornyak*1980 : The club is renamed Dzhezkazganets...
. However, he only managed to make nine appearances for his new club before Ulytau folded and Urazbakhtin was forced to look for his third team in just two years. He joined FC Kairat, based in Almaty
Almaty
Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500...
. The club finished third in the Kazakhstan Premier League in 1997, with Urazbakhtin scoring four times in seventeen games. He would spend a total of four years at FC Kairat and 1998 proved to be his most successful year at the club. He scored five goals in fifteen appearances as Kairat finished second in the Kazakhstan First Division
Kazakhstan First Division
The Kazakhstan First Division is the second division of football in Kazakhstan. The League is controlled by the Football Union of Kazakhstan and feeds into the Kazakhstan Premier League, having been founded in 1994. It runs from spring and to late autumn, making each championship correspond to a...
. Despite this, Urazbakhtin gradually fell out of favour, only making one appearance in 2000, his final year in Almaty
Almaty
Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500...
. However, he would return to the club in 2008.
2001-2011
He signed for FC RostovFC Rostov
FC Rostov is a Russian football club based in Rostov-on-Don, Rostov Oblast. The club are currently members of the Russian Premier League and play at the Olimp – 2 stadium.-History:...
ahead of the 2001 season and played thirteen games as they finished twelfth in the Russian Premier League
Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
. Urazbakhtin then moved back to Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
to play for Yelimay Semey, now known as FC Spartak Semey. However, he failed to make a single appearance for the side as they finished eighth in the Kazakhstan Premier League. This lack of first-team football understandably lead Urazbakhtin to move to FC Aktobe
FC Aktobe
FC Aktobe are a Kazakh football club based at the Central Stadium in Aktobe. Current members and four-time champions of the Kazakhstani Premier League, they also won the country's second level league – First Division – in 2000.-Name history:...
in 2003. Aktobe had only recently been promoted from the First Division
Kazakhstan First Division
The Kazakhstan First Division is the second division of football in Kazakhstan. The League is controlled by the Football Union of Kazakhstan and feeds into the Kazakhstan Premier League, having been founded in 1994. It runs from spring and to late autumn, making each championship correspond to a...
, but this didn't stop Urazbakhtin enjoying the most successful season of his career, netting nine goals in twenty-four games for an average of more than one goal every three games. Aktobe finished fifth in the 2003 Kazakhstan Premier League and improved on this in 2004, claiming fourth place. However, Urazbakhtin failed to emulate his success in the previous campaign, making sixteen appearances but failing to find the net. As a result, he was transferred to FC Zhetysu
FC Zhetysu
FC Zhetysu are a Kazakh football club based at the Zhetysu stadium in Taldykorgan. Founding members of the Kazakhstan Premier League, they missed five seasons because of relegations.-Name History:*1981 : Founded as Zhetysu...
, the club where he had begun his career. He scored twice in twenty games in 2005 as Zhetysu finished fifteenth in the Premier League, before moving on to FC Shakhter Karagandy. He failed to score for Shakhter in twenty-nine appearances in 2006, despite becoming a regular first-teamer at the club. In 2007, Urazbakhtin joined FC Kyzylzhar
FC Kyzylzhar
FC Kyzylzhar is a Kazakhstani football club, playing in the north Kazakh city of Petropavl at the Avangard Stadium. They are founding members of Kazakhstan Premier League. Kyzylzhar is the name of district in the city. Their main sponsors are Bogatyr Access Komir Ltd, a coal mining company. They...
, where he witnessed a return to form, scoring four times in twenty-three appearances. However, this didn't prevent the forward from rejoining former club FC Kairat in 2008, and he only managed one goal in nineteen games for his new club, before moving on to the similarly-named FC Kaisar
FC Kaisar
FC Kaisar Kyzylorda are a Kazakh football based in the Gany Muratbayev Stadium in Kyzylorda. They are founding members of the Kazakhstan Premier League and have missed only three seasons following relegations. The most successful was the season of 1998, when they won the Kazakhstan Cup and got...
in 2009. Kaiser struggled that season, finishing thirteenth in the Premier League, and Urazbakhtin only scored once in twelve games. Despite being the penultimate season in his career, Urazbakhtin reached the twilight of his career in 2010, scoring once every three games on average for FC Vostok
FC Vostok
FC Vostok is a Kazakh football club from Oskemen , a founding member of the Kazakhstan Premier League since 1992. The club's biggest achieved position in the league is the 5th place in 1997 and 1998...
and equalling his best season goal tally. He stayed with Vostok for the 2011 season, but could only manage one goal in twenty-two games before retiring in October.
International career
Urazbakhtin made his debut for KazakhstanKazakhstan national football team
The Kazakhstan national football team represents Kazakhstan in international men's association football and is directed by Football Federation of Kazakhstan. They split from the Soviet Union national football team after independence in 1991 and joined the Asian Football Confederation's Central and...
in a 2-0 loss to Iran
Iran national football team
The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran...
in December 1998 in the 1998 Asian Games
1998 Asian Games
The 13th Asian Games were held from December 6 to December 20, 1998 in Bangkok, Thailand. This was the first time that Thailand bid for the event after it shouldered the two postponed hosting rights in 1970 and 1978.-Emblem:...
, while he was playing for FC Kairat. He would also play in Asian Games matches against Thailand
Thailand national football team
The Thailand national football team represents Thailand in international football competition and is governed by the Football Association of Thailand. The team has a history of success in Southeast Asian competition, with three ASEAN Football Championship titles and nine senior-level Southeast...
and Lebanon
Lebanon national football team
The Lebanon national football team represents the Republic of Lebanon in international association football. Their official nickname is The Cedars...
, coming on as a second-half substitute in all three games. Rafael had to wait until April 2001 for his next international call-up, playing against Nepal
Nepal national football team
The Nepal national football team is the national team of Nepal and is controlled by the All Nepal Football Association. A member of the Asian Football Confederation , the Nepalese football team play their home games at Dasarath Rangasala Stadium located at Tripureswhor in Kathmandu. The All Nepal...
in a 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
qualifier and scoring Kazakhstan's third goal in a 6-0 win. He also played in 2002 World Cup qualifiers against Macau
Macau national football team
The Macau football team represents the Chinese special administrative region of Macau in international association football. The team is supervised by the Macau Football Association . The Macau football team has a ranking that is one of the lowest among the FIFA members...
and Iraq
Iraq national football team
The Iraqi national football team represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association. They won the 2007 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup tournament.-The Golden Generation:...
, before again scoring against Nepal
Nepal national football team
The Nepal national football team is the national team of Nepal and is controlled by the All Nepal Football Association. A member of the Asian Football Confederation , the Nepalese football team play their home games at Dasarath Rangasala Stadium located at Tripureswhor in Kathmandu. The All Nepal...
in the return fixture on 21 April. The striker's final three caps for Kazakhstan came in 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
qualifiers against Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
in September, Albania
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
in October, and Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
in November.
Urazbakhtin played his last game for Kazakhstan in the 3-1 loss to Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
on 17 November 2004.
On 3 October 1999 Urazbakhtin played in a 2000 Sydney Olympics second-round qualifier against Thailand
Thailand national football team
The Thailand national football team represents Thailand in international football competition and is governed by the Football Association of Thailand. The team has a history of success in Southeast Asian competition, with three ASEAN Football Championship titles and nine senior-level Southeast...
, coming on as a substitute in a 0-0 draw. As the game was a qualifier for an Olympics tournament, Kazakhstan sent their under-23 team to compete, and as Urazbakhtin was only 20 years old at the time, he was called up to the under-23 side.
| Cap | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 December 1998 | Main Stadium, Bangkok Bangkok Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom... |
L 2-0 | 1998 Asian Games 1998 Asian Games The 13th Asian Games were held from December 6 to December 20, 1998 in Bangkok, Thailand. This was the first time that Thailand bid for the event after it shouldered the two postponed hosting rights in 1970 and 1978.-Emblem:... |
||
| 2 | 8 December 1998 | Rajamangala Stadium Rajamangala Stadium Rajamangala National Stadium , also known as Hua Mark Indoor Stadium, is the national stadium of Thailand and the home stadium for the Thailand national football team. Located in Khwaeng Hua Mak, Khet Bang kapi, Bangkok, it officially opened in 1998.... , Bangkok Bangkok Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom... |
D 1-1 | 1998 Asian Games 1998 Asian Games The 13th Asian Games were held from December 6 to December 20, 1998 in Bangkok, Thailand. This was the first time that Thailand bid for the event after it shouldered the two postponed hosting rights in 1970 and 1978.-Emblem:... |
||
| 3 | 12 December 1998 | Rajamangala Stadium Rajamangala Stadium Rajamangala National Stadium , also known as Hua Mark Indoor Stadium, is the national stadium of Thailand and the home stadium for the Thailand national football team. Located in Khwaeng Hua Mak, Khet Bang kapi, Bangkok, it officially opened in 1998.... , Bangkok Bangkok Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom... |
L 3-0 | 1998 Asian Games 1998 Asian Games The 13th Asian Games were held from December 6 to December 20, 1998 in Bangkok, Thailand. This was the first time that Thailand bid for the event after it shouldered the two postponed hosting rights in 1970 and 1978.-Emblem:... |
||
| 4 | 12 April 2001 | Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad Baghdad Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040... |
W 6-0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Asian Zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
1 | |
| 5 | 14 April 2001 | Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad Baghdad Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040... |
W 3-0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Asian Zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
||
| 6 | 16 April 2001 | Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad Baghdad Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040... |
D 1-1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Asian Zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
||
| 7 | 21 April 2001 | Almaty Central Stadium Almaty Central Stadium The Almaty Central Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium is shared by FC Kairat Almaty. It also serves the home stadium for the Kazakhstan national football team.... , Almaty Almaty Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500... |
W 4-0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Asian Zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
1 | |
| 8 | 23 April 2001 | Almaty Central Stadium Almaty Central Stadium The Almaty Central Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium is shared by FC Kairat Almaty. It also serves the home stadium for the Kazakhstan national football team.... , Almaty Almaty Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500... |
W 5-0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Asian Zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
||
| 9 | 25 April 2001 | Almaty Central Stadium Almaty Central Stadium The Almaty Central Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium is shared by FC Kairat Almaty. It also serves the home stadium for the Kazakhstan national football team.... , Almaty Almaty Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500... |
D 1-1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Asian Zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
||
| 10 | 8 September 2004 | Almaty Central Stadium Almaty Central Stadium The Almaty Central Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium is shared by FC Kairat Almaty. It also serves the home stadium for the Kazakhstan national football team.... , Almaty Almaty Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500... |
L 2-1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup... |
||
| 11 | 13 October 2004 | Almaty Central Stadium Almaty Central Stadium The Almaty Central Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium is shared by FC Kairat Almaty. It also serves the home stadium for the Kazakhstan national football team.... , Almaty Almaty Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500... |
L 1-0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup... |
||
| 12 | 17 November 2004 | Karaiskakis Stadium Karaiskakis Stadium Karaiskakis Stadium is in the Neo Faliro area of Piraeus, Greece. It is the home ground of Olympiacos F.C. and is named after Georgios Karaiskakis , hero of the Greek War of Independence, who was mortally wounded near the area.... , Piraeus Piraeus Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf.... |
L 3-1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup... |