ASU News

The semi-final tournament of the All-Russian football competitions among students in the "All-Russian Division" has concluded, having taken place in Maykop. Four student teams participated in the event: those from Adygea, Krasnodar, Vladikavkaz, and Voronezh.

The Republic was represented by the team from Adyghe State University, which also served as the host. The games occurred at the Rector Yachikov Stadium of the Maykop State Humanitarian and Technical College affiliated with ASU. The winner was determined using a round-robin system, where each team faced off against the other three, and the team that ultimately scored the most points was recognized as the strongest.

The tournament proved to be dramatically intense, with three of the six games concluding in a draw. The ultimate outcome was determined only in the final match between Adyghe State University and Kuban State University of Physical Education, Sports, and Tourism. The teams played to a 1:1 tie; however, taking into account the overall goal differential throughout the semi-final tournament, the Maikop team was declared the stage winners. They will advance to the finals, scheduled to take place in Yessentuki from November 16 to 25.

The team from Krasnodar secured second place, while the football players from Voronezh State University claimed third. Rounding out the table are the rivals from Vladikavkaz Order of Friendship of Peoples Polytechnic College, who finished in fourth place.

The best goalkeeper of the semi-final in Maikop was Sarmat Ostani (Vladikavkaz), while the best defender was Gleb Nedoluga (Krasnodar). The title of best midfielder went to Nikita Terbunsky (Voronezh), the best forward was Maksim Manzhiev (Krasnodar), and the accolade for best scorer was awarded to Ivan Matrenin (Maikop). Additionally, the tournament's best player was Amir Shkhalakhov (Maikop).

This marks the first time a semi-final has been held in Adygea. The management of the National Student Football League praised the excellent conditions and high level of organization. Khasin Bolov, the chief referee of the competition and deputy chairman of the Football Federation of the Republic, stated that this event is of great importance for the development of the sport in the region.

-All teams are satisfied with the conditions. All the participants—students and football players—were accommodated here. This means that all the teams lived, dined, and trained together in close quarters. They had access to a sports complex and a swimming pool, ensuring that everything needed for the players was readily available. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the management of ASU. Additionally, we made efforts to ensure that this year's tournament in Maikop was officiated by all the referees from Adygea. This is significant because it indicates that our federation is also progressing. I would like to express special gratitude to the president of the National Student Football League, Andrei Stukalov, who personally attended the semi-final games. Under his patronage, we did everything possible to uphold the reputation of our republic, - he stated.

Let us recall that teams from approximately 280 educational institutions across the country participated in the qualifying matches of the All-Russian competition. Out of these, 32 teams will compete in 8 semi-finals, which are being held in Ivanovo Oblast, Krasnoyarsk, Kurgan, Smolensk, Tomsk, Ulyanovsk, Vladivostok, and, for the first time, in Maykop. The winners of the semi-finals will advance to the final, where they will also face strong teams that have tr