For the 22nd time, Astana is
hosting an international amateur mini-football tournament, bringing together
athletes from different countries. Notably, Kazakhstan's amateur national team
ranks first in the world in this sport. Additionally, for the second
consecutive year, the team has become SOCCA EuroCup champion. This time, in the
capital of Moldova, Kazakh athletes defeated the Croatian team in the final
match of the international tournament with a score of 3:0. Last year,
Kazakhstan emerged victorious against Romania in the tournament final.
“Indeed, participating in
continental competitions is challenging. Last year, the Kazakh team Sairan
emerged as champions. It was crucial to demonstrate that this success wasn’t
merely luck for our country, and I believe we upheld the country’s honor with
dignity,” said Socca EuroCup champion Serik Mazhitov.
“This year, we are planning to
organize the first Asian Cup. However, this initiative is currently in the
development stage. Our primary focus at the moment is to forge connections and
foster communication with partners across Asia, totaling around 29 countries.
Initially, our goal is to gather a small but meaningful number of participants
to develop the Socca format in Asia. Ultimately, it will evolve into a
qualifying tournament, determining slots for the World Championship,” said Murat
Yeleupov, President of Astana Fýtbol Ligasy.
