Kazakhstan head coach John van 't Schip took responsibility for the defeat to Moldova in the Nations League. The Dutch specialist said the team effectively lost the match in the first half, and also answered a question about a possible resignation. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
After the match, van 't Schip said he was dissatisfied with the team's performance before the break. According to him, the players did not follow the structure the coaching staff had planned to use, and mistakes when losing the ball complicated the pressing.
"We started the first half badly, did not play in the structure we had agreed on, and made things harder for ourselves in the pressing when we lost the ball. We seized the initiative, could have scored a second goal, but we lost this match in the first half," ASnews.kz quotes the coach as saying.
The coach analyzed both conceded goals separately. In the episode with the first goal, according to him, the Kazakhs allowed the opponent to shoot unimpeded. Moldova scored the second goal after a corner – van 't Schip noted that a similar problem had already arisen in the previous match against Slovakia.
The Dutchman also took responsibility for building the game in the center of the field. The coach had hoped to play more attacking football and position the midfielders between the lines, but the scheme did not produce the expected effect.
According to van 't Schip's assessment, Bauyrzhan Islamkhan and Ramazan Orazov periodically lost their positions, which made it harder for Kazakhstan to organize pressure on the opponent after losing the ball.
"I think it was my mistake as a coach: I wanted to play more attacking football against Moldova. Unfortunately, we did not benefit from it."
After three rounds of the current Nations League campaign, our national team remains without a win. Earlier, the team drew with the Faroe Islands – 1:1 and lost to Slovakia – 1:2.
The coach admitted that after such a start, fighting for first place in the group has become significantly harder. Kazakhstan will play its next match on October 6 at home against the Faroe Islands.
At the same time, van 't Schip said that playing in Division C corresponds to the current level of the national team. According to him, the opponents in the group are close to each other in class, so most matches are decided by a minimal margin.
When asked about a possible resignation, the specialist replied that the decision does not depend on him.
"I hope to continue working. It is clear that when you win, you have many friends, and when you lose, there are almost none. This is part of a coach's job."
Van 't Schip's last place of work before Kazakhstan was the Armenia national team. In 2025, under his leadership, the team played four matches and also did not achieve a single victory: it lost to Georgia 0:3 and 1:6, to Kosovo – 2:5, and drew with Montenegro – 2:2. The result was one draw and three defeats. In August 2025, the Football Federation of Armenia and the coach ended their cooperation.
In Kazakhstan, van 't Schip's winless streak currently stands at three matches – a draw with the Faroes and defeats to Slovakia and Moldova. The next meeting will again be against the Faroe Islands. If Kazakhstan fails to succeed on October 6, the Dutch specialist's winless streak will reach the same four matches with which his period with the Armenia national team ended. Whether the Armenian scenario will repeat after that is one of the questions that will accompany the team's next match.
Recall that the Kazakhstan national team lost to Moldova at Astana Arena with a score of 1:2. By the break, the visitors were leading after a goal by Niki Kleshchenko, and early in the second half Petru Popescu doubled the advantage. Nuraly Alip pulled one goal back in the 64th minute, but the hosts failed to equalize.