According to sources close to
Sheep Esports, the team expected to represent Kazakhstan at the
Esports Nations Cup VALORANT tournament features Zhumagali "
dos9" Dastan, Alen "
xexxar" Kadyrbayev, Emerik "
doventor" Auezov, “
screwdriver”, and “
nrk”. The team will be led by Head Coach Sultan "sultan" Akbay, with Artur "Marchi" Muratov joining the staff as Assistant Coach. “Bashkir” will also serve as a substitute, and Kazakhstan will therefore have an additional option available depending on form or role requirements.
dos9 inevitably stands out as the marquee name in this roster. The Controller is the only member of the Kazakh lineup currently competing at the Tier 1 level, with Karmine Corp in VCT EMEA. He is also playing his second consecutive season at the highest level, following a stint with BOOM Esports in VCT Pacific in 2025. The player is, however, going through a difficult period with KC, as the team was eliminated from Stage 1 without securing a single win.
Several KZ Players
Among the other players, xexxar boasts a somewhat more substantial résumé than his compatriots. Also a Controller, he is competing this season with S8UL Esports in VCL South Asia and, notably, won Split 1 of the competition last month. He and dos9 are therefore likely to form the backbone of a roster whose ambitions will inevitably remain limited.
To complete the lineup, the Kazakh management has opted to prioritize pre-existing synergies. screwdriver, doventor, and nrk have been playing together since the beginning of the year under the “KZ Players” banner, with Bashkir also part of that core. As a reminder, nations are not permitted to field more than three players from the same professional team—a rule that, evidently, does not apply in Kazakhstan’s case.
According to our information, the team has yet to determine in which region it will compete in the Qualifier in an attempt to reach the final stages of the competition in Riyadh. As a reminder, this final tournament will be held during the second week of the Esports Nations Cup, from November 8 to 15. A total of 32 teams from around the world will compete for a $1,500,000 prize pool.
