Kairat goalkeeper Sherkhan Kalmurza enters list of youngest goalkeepers in Champions League history
UEFA’s official website has included 18-year-old Kairat Almaty goalkeeper Sherkhan Kalmurza in the list of the youngest goalkeepers in the history of the UEFA Champions League, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Kalmurza made his debut in the starting lineup in an away group-stage match against Sporting Lisbon on September 18. At the time of his debut, he was 18 years and 96 days old. Just five minutes into the game, the young shot-stopper produced an impressive save that prevented Kairat from conceding an early goal.
According to UEFA, Kalmurza is the third-youngest goalkeeper in the tournament’s history. Only Belgium’s Maarten Vandevoordt (17 years 287 days) and Serbia’s Mile Svilar (18 years 52 days) debuted at a younger age. The ranking also features such legendary names as Iker Casillas, Manuel Neuer, Gianluigi Buffon, and Petr Čech.
Kalmurza’s inclusion in UEFA’s prestigious list marks a historic moment for Kazakh football. Previously, no goalkeepers from Kazakhstan had ever appeared among the record-holders of Europe’s premier club competition.
Earlier, it was reported that Almaty’s Kairat played an away match against Portuguese side Sporting in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
