During the 28th Congress of the Ukrainian Football Association in Uzhhorod in April 2026, an important decision was made to preserve football in southern Ukraine — the creation of a united regional association for Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts, which will operate until the end of the war or full de-occupation of left-bank Kherson.

In his speech, Oleksandr Holiiko emphasized that in wartime conditions, the main priority is not so much classical development as supporting people and shaping a vision for the future.

First and foremost for us are the people in communities. We must keep our football governance going with those who have stayed behind. To this end, we conducted a comprehensive security audit of infrastructure and personnel potential at the sites. We needed to understand what kind of support from regional authorities and the association the communities require, — noted Holiiko.

Due to the complex security situation, football teams from Kherson oblast are currently forced to play in tournaments of neighboring regions: Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia. To unite them and support their sporting spirit, together with the head of the Kherson OVA Oleksandr Prokudin, the "Unbreakable Cup" was organized in June. In a three-week tournament, teams from six communities participated, and the final took place in Mykolaiv. This event also served as an opportunity to discuss further cooperation strategies with community leaders.

One of the Association's important areas of work is supporting internally displaced persons (IDPs) and collaborating with humanitarian hubs in other regions. For example, together with the head of the Kyiv hub Vitaliy Nemerets, a training process was organized for IDP children aged 11-13 under the guidance of a coach from Kherson (training takes place on fields with artificial turf provided by the UFA). Also, in mid-June, competitions among teams of IDPs from various corners of Ukraine took place at the Ivan Pidgubnyi Olympic Vocational College in Kyiv.

Speaking about current challenges and specific steps taken during the recent period, Oleksandr Holiiko highlighted for colleagues such initiatives and events:

• Support for the DSNSS team (futsal): thanks to the support of the association, the Kherson rescue workers' team achieved success in first place in Mykolaiv oblast.
• Creation of a new club: the futsal club "Sarmat" has started its history and is currently based in Kyiv (on the territory of the Ivan Pidgubnyi College).
• Information activities: the final stage of creating a powerful media platform for the Kherson Football Association is underway, which will include an official website, YouTube and Telegram channels.
• August tournaments:
  • The "Unbreakable Cup of Ukraine" was held among children and youth teams from territorial communities in Kherson oblast (12 collectives participated).
  • A youth tournament in memory of the victims of Kherson football who died during the Russian-Ukrainian war was held.

We have accomplished a great deal of work and believe we have inspired people. Football in Kherson oblast is alive. Even during these extremely difficult times, it continues to bring emotions to people, supporting their physical and mental health, — concluded his speech before the participants of the Assembly Oleksandr Holiiko.

The Association plans to continue supporting the sporting life of the frontline region. In the autumn-winter period, a series of football and futsal tournaments for children, veterans, and military personnel are planned (including events dedicated to significant dates for Kherson oblast). Considering the security situation, all future competitions will be organized in more secure communities of neighboring regions.