Oleksiy Hutsulyak signs two-year deal with Kazakhstan's Ordabasy

Ukrainian striker chooses Kazakhstan league

28-year-old Ukraine national team winger Oleksiy Hutsulyak has officially become a player for Kazakhstan's Ordabasy club from the city of Shymkent. The team's press service announced this on 11 November. The footballer, who is the top scorer for the Ukraine national team in 2025, signed a two-year contract with his new employer.

Hutsulyak moved to Ordabasy as a free agent after ending his cooperation with Zhytomyr's Polissya in the summer of 2026. The Ukrainian player received the number seven shirt at his new club. This transfer marks the footballer's first foreign experience at the senior professional level.

Alternatives and motives for the choice

The decision to leave the Ukrainian championship arose even after the end of the previous season. Despite the possibility of extending his contract with Polissya, the player considered playing abroad a priority. In early November, the footballer's agent Oleg Avdysh told the publication Ukrainian Football that a return of his client to the Ukrainian Premier League is unlikely: "99% Hutsulyak will continue his career abroad" (99% Hutsulyak will continue his career abroad).

According to Ordabasy manager Beibit Alibekov, several foreign teams showed interest in the Ukrainian winger. These included Italy's Udinese and Belgium's Anderlecht. Hutsulyak also received offers from clubs in the USA, Japan, and Middle Eastern countries.

The decisive factor in choosing Ordabasy was the player's desire to occupy a leading position in the team, rather than being part of a rotating squad, as could have been the case with other offers.

Statistics and career path

Oleksiy Hutsulyak spent most of his professional career in Ukraine, where he played for Karpaty, Desna, Dnipro-1, and Polissya. In 2016, he was part of the system of Spain's Villarreal. In total, the winger played 226 matches in the Ukrainian Premier League, scoring 52 goals and providing 32 assists.

Hutsulyak made his debut for the Ukraine national team in 2024. He has 16 appearances and six goals to his name. 2025 proved particularly productive for the player: in nine matches for the national team, he scored five goals and made two assists, which allowed him to become the team's top scorer for the year.

However, the lack of regular club practice after the termination of his contract with Polissya affected his status in the national team. In the autumn of 2026, the footballer did not receive a call-up for the national team's matches.

Start of appearances for the new team

Since the season in the Kazakhstan championship has already ended, Oleksiy Hutsulyak's first official match for Ordabasy will take place no earlier than March 2027. Before the start of the new competition, the player will have time to prepare and adapt to the new team.