The first matches of the “Heydar Aliyev Cup” football tournament, organized among Azerbaijani students studying in Türkiye, have been played.
The tournament is held with the support of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of Azerbaijan and organized by the Federation of Türkiye-Azerbaijan Associations. Teams made up of Azerbaijani students from Istanbul and various regions across Türkiye are taking part.
As part of the regional stage, matches were played between Eskişehir–Sakarya, Balıkesir–Bursa, Afyon–Kütahya, and Manisa–İzmir.
Sakarya defeated Eskişehir 2–0. Bursa beat Balıkesir 7–2, while Kütahya secured an 8–0 victory over Afyon. İzmir recorded a dominant 15–1 win against Manisa. The winning teams advanced to the next round.
According to the tournament schedule, Bursa will face Sakarya, and İzmir will take on Kütahya in the next stage. The winners of these matches will qualify for the semifinals, which will be held on May 16–17 in Istanbul.
The main goal of the tournament is to strengthen solidarity among Azerbaijani students in Türkiye, promote a healthy lifestyle, and foster friendship.