Idman.biz
"For a long time, we haven't spoken about the national team with heart, desire, and ease. It's pleasant and joyful to say something this time".
These words were said by Afran Ismayilov, the former football player of the Azerbaijani national team, in his statement to sport24.az.
The 37-year-old former midfielder shared his thoughts on the national team's defeat to Ukraine (1:2) in the qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup: "The determination, desire, and the game we wanted to see have slowly returned. I believe that with time, tactics and the game will develop further. Everything will fall into place. I want to say thank you to the national team's head coach, Aykhan Abbasov. He was able to gather the team quickly. They achieved a draw with Ukraine in Baku. They showed determination in the match with France in Paris. We also saw struggle and determination in yesterday's match against Ukraine. That match could have ended in a draw as well. If we had taken advantage of the opportunity in the first minutes, it would have been possible to win".
Ismayilov recalled that the team's chances in Group D were slim from the start: "But our game has improved. Determination and national spirit have returned. This is also a welcome development. I believe that from now on, Iceland will not be able to score five or six goals against us easily. I hope that we will win at least one point in Baku, in front of our fans. Everyone is eager. We will achieve better results gradually. This is visible in the national team. There is football and footballers in Azerbaijan. It is just necessary to manage them and make them play well. Aykhan Abbasov does this very well. He knows the players well. I wish our national team success in the upcoming matches".
