12 May 2011, 23:55
In Grozny, "Kavkaz" beats "Stars of World Football"
At the end of the opening ceremony of the Akhmad-Hadji Kadyrov Stadium in Grozny, a football match was played by the "Stars of World Football" and the team named "Kavkaz". The match was played in two 30-minute halves. The hosts beat the visitors with the score 5:2.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the "Kavkaz" team was headed by Alexander Khloponin, Russian President's Plenipotentiary in the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD).
The "Stars of World Football" included Diego Maradona and Luis Figo, Dida, Fabien Barthez, Amoruso, Alessandro Costacurta, Franco Baresi, Ivan Zamorano, Alain Boghossian, Jean-Pierre Papin, Robbie Fowler, Enzo Francescoli, Christian Vieri, Roberto Ayala and Steve McManaman.
Earlier, Chechen authorities had announced the arrival to Chechnya of the World Cup winner Zidane, but Zidane himself later refuted these reports.
The "Kavkaz" team included Ramzan Kadyrov, Magomed Daudov, Odes Baisultanov, Rinat Dasaev, Alexander Khloponin, Khaidar Alkhanov Apiti Alautdinov, Timur Djabrailov, Andrei Fedkov, Khanpash Ibragimov, Adlan Katzaev, Zaur Sadaev, Ramzan Tsutsulaev, Arsen Kanokov and Anzor Ismailov, the RIA "Novosti" reports.
The opening ceremony of the largest sports complex in Southern Russia was accompanied by reinforced security measures. The highway leading to the Akhmad Kadyrov Stadium and the adjoining districts were blocked by police and military patrols. School teachers, university students and pupils from colleges and high schools were involved in the festivities.
