Vitaly Kafanov

Vitaly Vitalyevich Kafanov (Russian: Виталий Витальевич Кафанов; Turkmen: Witaliý Witalýewiç Kafanow; born 24 May 1960) is a Kazakhstani-Turkmenistani football coach and a former player. He is an assistant coach of FC Rostov and goalkeepers' coach with Russia national football team.

Vitaly Kafanov
Kafanov with Rostov in 2021
Personal information
Full nameVitaly Vitalyevich Kafanov
Date of birth (1960-05-24) 24 May 1960 (age 64)
Place of birthAshgabat, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union
(now Turkmenistan)
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
Rostov (assistant coach) /
Russia (GK coach)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1980–1986Kolkozchi Ashkhabad138(1)
1987–1988Sokol Saratov21(0)
1989–1990Kopet-Dag Ashkhabad77(0)
1991Uralmash Yekaterinburg15(0)
1992–1993Kairat74(0)
1994–1995Yelimay Semey49(0)
1996Nisa Aşgabat
International career
1992Kazakhstan6(0)
1996Turkmenistan2(0)
Managerial career
2001Kristall Smolensk (assistant)
2001Kristall Smolensk
2003–2013Rubin Kazan (head assistant)
2014–2015Kazakhstan (goalkeeping coach)
2015–2017Rostov (goalkeeping coach)
2017–2018Rubin Kazan (goalkeeping coach)
2019–2021Rostov (assistant)
2021–Russia (goalkeeping coach)
2021–2022Rostov
2022–Rostov (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

He would start his youth career in Turkmen SSR, nowadays Turkmenistan.[1]

He began his professional career with Kolkozchi Ashkhabad. He made his senior football debut in 1982 for this club.[citation needed]

In the USSR championship, he also played for the Sokol Saratov, before spending one season with Uralmash Yekaterinburg in the Soviet First League.[2]

Kafanov has extensive experience in the championship of Kazakhstan for FC Kairat and FC Elimay. He is a three-time champion of Kazakhstan (1992, 1994, 1995) and a two-time winner of the Kazakhstan Cup (1992 and 1995).[citation needed]

He retired at the Nisa Aşgabat in 1998.[3][4]

Coach career

Kafanov with Rubin Kazan

Russian media consider Kafanov to be one of the country's strongest in free kicks.[5]

Following his playing career, Kafanov became a manager, most recently with FC Rubin Kazan.[6]

At the beginning of his career in Russia in 2001, Kafanov headed Kristall Smolensk, which finished the season in 10th place out of 18.

He worked at Rubin Kazan from 2003 with a break of 3.5 years in 2014–2017. Together with the team, he became twice the champion of Russia, won two Russian Super Cups, one Russian Cup.

In 2014–2015, he was helped to Yuri Krasnozhan in the national team of Kazakhstan.[7]

In 2019, he entered into an agreement with the FC Rostov football club, in which he previously worked from 2015 to 2017.

In July 2021, the Russian Football Union named Kafanov as the goalkeeper coach of the Russia national football team.[8]

On 26 October 2021, FC Rostov announced new appointment of Kafanov as a manager of the team.[9][10]

International career

Vitaly Kafanov played for two countries.[11]

Kafanov made six appearances for the Kazakhstan national football team in 1992. He later appeared twice for his home team Turkmenistan.[12]

Honours

Club

Kairat

Managerial honours

Rubin

Rostov

References