A football tournament between student teams from the Russian Federation and Africa will take place from 23-28 July as part of the Russia-Africa International Sports Festival. The sporting event provided an opportunity for members of the NSFL Board of Trustees to discuss plans to return student football to the practice of domestic tournaments.

- The National Student Football League has been actively supported and developed over the past 10 years. Currently, teams from 12 Russian faculties and 21 educational institutions participate in the league. During this time, our teams have won many awards and medals," said Marina Borovskaya, Chairwoman of the Council of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions of the South of Russia. - The patriotic and educational mission of the NSFL and team sports in general is important for student sports.

The participants of the meeting defined the prospects for the development of student football.

- Mass sports, including football, must be supported. We cooperate with the universities of the Southern Federal District and we will do everything to make the game worthy in our city. What we are doing today is an investment in the future of our country, - said Besarion Meskhi.

The meeting was attended by the Deputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation Alu Alkhanov, the Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Olga Petrova, the President of the Russian Students' Sports Union Sergey Seiranov, the President of the NSFL Andrey Stukalov, as well as representatives of the Russian Ministry of Sport, the Russian Football Union, the Russian Students' Sports Union, rectors and vice-rectors of more than 20 Russian universities.

The Russia-Africa Tournament is organised by the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics in cooperation with the International Student Football Union and the National Student Football League with the support of the Directorate for the Organisation of Sports and Spectacular Events of the Roscongress Foundation and financial support from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation within the framework of the Russia-Africa International Sports Festival and the project "Transformation of Mass Sports in Plekhanovka".