One day after the last match day of the first half of the 2025/2026 third division season, we present the “forecasting eleven for the first half” in the third division. And, of course, the coach of the first half.

For your information: In our “Forecasting XI of the 2025/2026 third division first half of the season,” we are playing in a 3-4-3 system – meaning: goalkeeper, three defenders, four midfielders, and three forwards. Goalkeeper Jakob Golz (Rot-Weiss Essen): 30 goals conceded in 19 games – that’s certainly not a good record for a promotion contender like RWE. But it wasn’t his fault. Jakob Golz has been one of the best goalkeepers in the 3rd division for years. The 27-year-old confirmed this again in the first half of the season. In 16 appearances, he only kept three clean sheets – but the fact is that without Golz, and also without Felix Wienand, who deputized excellently for his colleague three times (three goals conceded), Rot-Weiss Essen would not be where they are now in the winter break. Coach Uwe Koschinat’s leaky defense allows a few scoring chances in every game, so Golz has to come to the rescue time and time again. Without these saves, RWE would probably not be as deep in the promotion race as it is at the winter break. Defense Tim Kloss (Viktoria Cologne): He can play both as a center back and in defensive midfield – and is irreplaceable for Viktoria coach Marian Wilhelm. The 21-year-old has played in all 19 games, scoring five goals and providing one assist. With this transfer – Kloss joined from TSV 1860 Munich in the summer of 2025 – the sporting management of Cologne, led by manager Stephan Küsters, has shown real flair. Martin Ens (SC Verl): 19 games and every minute played from start to finish! The 24-year-old Ens is the undisputed leader of the defense in Tobias Strobl’s team. The 1.87-meter-tall Ens holds the team together and, when necessary, also joins in the attack. He has also scored two goals. It is already certain that SC Paderborn will call Ens back to Paderborn next summer. This is because SCP secured a buy-back option when Ens moved to Verl. Tobias Kraulich (Rot-Weiss Essen): A great center back! One that Uwe Koschinat didn’t like at first. Kraulich is more of a technical player – strong and clean. With consistently great diagonal passes and very good build-up play. Essen’s coach prefers defensive players like Michael Schultz or Jose-Enrique Rios Alonso, who are more combative and simply prefer to play defensively. But Kraulich proved his coach wrong and showed him with strong performances that he is a great asset to Essen. He had to wait five games on the bench before he got his chance and took it. In 16 appearances, the 1.91-meter-tall Kraulich also scored two goals.

Midfield

Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab (TSG Hoffenheim II): Fast, strong dribbler, dangerous in front of goal, extremely tenacious and willing – 18 games, nine goals, six assists: We have reported on the 21-year-old winger many times before. He is an exceptional player in his position in the 3rd division and highly sought after. His contract expires in the summer of 2026 – interested parties are lining up.

Berkan Taz (SC Verl): 19 games, eight goals, ten assists! What are these amazing numbers? Like Amaimouni-Echghouyab on the wing, Taz is an exceptional player in the league in the number 10 position. At SC Verl, players such as Timur Gayret, Alessio Besio, and several others could certainly also be named to the first half of the season’s team. But Taz is the heart of coach Tobias Strobl’s game. Tolcay Cigerci (FC Energie Cottbus): While we’re on the subject of exceptional talents and key players, Cigerci is another such player in the FC Energie Cottbus jersey. And his stats are no worse than Taz’s: 19 games, 12 goals, eight assists! The 30-year-old is arguably the best footballer in the 3rd division. No wonder that league rivals Rot-Weiss Essen briefly tried to “rip out” the heart of the Cottbus team. As in the regional league, the left winger is one of the best players in coach Dietmar Hirsch’s team, even at the next level. Sussek is incredibly active, constantly annoying his opponents and often scoring goals or setting them up. A strong winger in the 3rd division!

Attacker

Kennedy Okpala (SV Waldhof Mannheim): Okpala will be moving to the 2nd Bundesliga, namely to Paderborn, on January 1, 2026. The physically strong attacker is leaving Mannheim with seven goals and three assists. At just 21 years of age, he is still a long way from reaching his full potential.

Ryan Naderi (Hansa Rostock): 1.94 meters tall – the ideal height for a center forward. The 22-year-old knows how to use his height to his advantage. He scored seven goals and provided two assists. He also works hard for the team – even second division clubs are aware of the Rostock native’s great qualities.

Erik Engelhardt (Energie Cottbus): He simply feels at home in the FC Energie Cottbus jersey. 19 games, 13 goals! He wasn’t happy in Osnabrück, but under Claus-Dieter Wollitz he is back in top form and leads the 3rd division scoring charts. Coach of the first half of the season Tobias Strobl: Claus-Dieter Wollitz could undoubtedly have been here too. Because what he is achieving with FC Energie Cottbus is worthy of all honor. The Lusatians operate with one of the smallest budgets in the third division. Even more serious are the financial resources – compared to their competitors – at SC Verl. According to forecasting information, Verl has just around €3.5 million at its disposal. By comparison, Rot-Weiss Essen has around €7 million. And yet Verl is ahead of RWE in the table.

What has been achieved in Verl over the years is sensational. For years, Sebastian Lange, now sporting director at second division club SC Paderborn, was the architect of success at Poststraße. But with his “apprentice” Zlatko Janjic, an intelligent sporting director has taken over Lange’s duties and seamlessly continued the successes of recent years. The same applies to Tobias Strobl, who was brought in by Lange from FC Augsburg II. Strobl is continuing the successes of his predecessors Mitch Kniat (Arminia Bielefeld) and Guerino Capretti (VfB Lübeck) – or rather, he is surpassing them. The 38-year-old has formed the best team in the 3rd division in terms of soccer – ahead of “gambling teams” such as Hoffenheim II and Stuttgart. Verl’s style of play is a feast for the eyes for every soccer fan – and also very successful. This is thanks to the work of Tobias Strobl – the forecasting coach for the 2025/2026 third division first half of the season.