Ukraine based Anatolii Volkov, a technical director at FC Polissya in the Ukraine) premier league was recently in East Africa for two important underage tournaments; U-17 and U-20 in Kigali – Rwanda and Dar-es-salaam – Tanzania respectively.

Having witnessed the two tournaments first hand, Volkov shares his thoughts and ideas with Kawowo Sports Media during a special sit-down interview.

KAWOWO SPORTS: What specific traits or profiles were you hoping to scout coming into the CECAFA U-17 & U-20 tournaments, and what was the main gap you observed between your expectations and what you saw on the pitch?

Anatolii Volkov: I would separate my answer here, discussing the U20 and U17 tournaments individually.

Regarding the U20 qualifiers in Tanzania, I can say that I achieved my objective. I was one of the few representatives of European clubs who travelled to Tanzania specifically for scouting purposes, which opened up additional opportunities for my club.

I identified 5–6 players for whom we have since moved on to gathering more detailed information and with whom we are currently in negotiations.

From a scouting perspective, this is a tangible result: players in positions that are a priority for my club, profiles that fit our specific context, a generally high level of quality, and potential market accessibility.

In addition, there was a group of players I already knew and travelled to Tanzania to assess live. There are also another 7-8 players we will continue to follow. Although the overall level of some teams was not particularly high, every national team had interesting players.

As for the U17 tournament in Rwanda, it largely fell short of my expectations. The overall level of the teams was not particularly high, there was a lot of tactical chaos, and some matches were uncompetitive due to the weakness of one side, as was the case in some of Burundi’s matches and the Uganda–Ethiopia semi-final. There was also a strong emphasis on results, which led some teams to simplify their game too much. The overall level of physical maturity among the players was not particularly high either, with Uganda being the main exception.

All these factors made it more difficult to assess individual players in the right context. Obviously, when you attend a tournament featuring 15–16-year-olds, the focus is primarily on evaluating potential rather than current ability. However, even from that perspective, there were relatively few players worth following, and most of them came from just two national teams: Uganda and Tanzania.

KAWOWO SPORTS: What were the biggest tactical or technical deficiencies in our players (Decision-making speed, off-the-ball movement, position discipline), and what should local youth coaches prioritize in daily training to fix this?

Anatolii Volkov: One particular disappointment was the defensive organisation of Burundi U-17. I often see this across different youth competitions on the continent: the opposition attacks, the ball is open, and the defending team pushes up into a line around the halfway line.

The defenders have incorrect body positioning, the goalkeeper is poorly positioned, and there seems to be a general lack of understanding of why this approach is used and when it is appropriate.

I had hoped we would not see this kind of problem at national-team level.

More generally, I would have liked to see more purposeful possession in the build-up, fewer long balls played into contested situations, and more individual ideas and a distinct playing identity that would set one mid-level team apart from another. This does not apply to some of the stronger teams, which definitely had their own style.

From a technical perspective, Uganda, Tanzania and Sudan U20 stood out significantly compared to the other teams.

Looking at both tournaments as a whole, I felt there were too few matches featuring high intensity and effective collective pressing. However, there are many objective reasons for this, including the heat, artificial pitches, a congested match schedule, limited squad depth and other factors.

KAWOWO SPORTS: Was there a specific attribute, raw talent, or positive trait in our players or teams that genuinely impressed you during the tournaments?

Anatolii Volkov: I was particularly impressed by the tactical work and overall approach of Tanzania’s national teams.

They have a clear playing style and philosophy, and you can see the influence of the coaching staff and the professional approach behind their work. Individually, the players are also strong and interesting prospects for the European market.

I believe Tanzania has everything it needs to develop an entire generation of high-level players, particularly if we look at the 15–19 age group as a whole.

However, based on my practical experience, it does not seem that clubs are necessarily aiming to move their talented players to Europe at an early age. I see more of a tendency for clubs to retain their talent.

I have also heard rumours that the Football Federation has adopted a similar approach, although I do not know whether this is actually the case or whether the Federation can influence this process.

The quality of Uganda’s players and their suitability for market needs did not come as a surprise, but it is always interesting to watch the national teams from this country.

Sudan U20 was a pleasant surprise. Their final result seemed well deserved, considering both the quality of their team play and the individual quality of their players.

Another positive discovery was that many of the players I identified at both tournaments came from attacking positions, where talent is generally harder to find. The leaders of the national teams and their most outstanding players were predominantly attacking midfielders, wingers and strikers.

KAWOWO SPORTS: From a scout’s perspective, what structural or organizational changes (pitch quality, match data, scheduling, video access) would make it easier to evaluate players and convince you to return for future tournaments?

Anatolii Volkov: I do not think the match schedule was ideal for the teams, considering the short recovery periods between games. However, from a scouting perspective, the format was very convenient. The tournaments were not spread over several weeks, and it was possible to watch three matches in a single day without having to travel between stadiums.

Another important point is that, in addition to attending the U17 matches in person, I rewatched most of them on video to verify certain details about individual players. Access to match footage is therefore an important part of my work.

However, I could not find the same level of access to the U20 tournament matches on YouTube. I understand that the broadcaster’s interests and my professional needs are not necessarily the same. Perhaps I simply did not search thoroughly enough. So this is not really a criticism, but rather an observation.

If I am not mistaken, the other U17 and U20 tournaments held or taking place across different zones of the continent this autumn have been available for free on YouTube. I hope this continues in the future.

Alternatively, a paid subscription could be an option. I would certainly support that if there is sufficient demand to make it worthwhile, provided there is clear and straightforward information explaining where and how to access the match footage.

KAWOWO SPORTS: Lastly, apart from football, how was your stay in Dar es Salaam and Kigali? Did you enjoy it? Did you pick up any Swahili words?

Anatolii Volkov: During the U20 tournament, I travelled between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. It was a particularly special time because my family was with me. It was my wife’s and children’s first visit to Africa, and it was a wonderful opportunity to experience and better understand the local way of life.

Pole pole clearly does not fit my professional pace of life, but on a personal level, I almost envy people who are in no rush to do anything or go anywhere.

In short, I dream of returning as soon as possible!

As for Kigali, I was pleasantly surprised by how clean the city was, the quality of its roads, and the general level of order both on the roads and throughout the city. It is no surprise that F1 is set to return to the continent in Rwanda!

Overall, it was a fantastic experience that gave me a deeper understanding of football in the CECAFA region. However, my exploration of the region is far from over. My next stop is already planned for October: Ethiopia.African project ofFC Polissyais aimed at scouting for talent on the continent. To this end, I dream of visiting as many African countries as possible.