Idman.biz
The Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium was loud and noisy from the first minutes. In the second match of the qualifying round of the 1998 World Cup, the Azerbaijani national team, the outsider of the group, hosts Switzerland, a participant in Euro 1996 - in this match, our national team wins its first official victory in history.
Idman.biz reports that the score of 1:0 will forever remain in history, and August 31 will become a symbol of the fact that football can change destinies.
One moment in the 26th minute defined the highlight of the night: Azerbaijani football players play sharply and vertically: a cut, a quick three-man run, a deep pass from Yunis Huseynov... and Vidadi Rzayev puts the ball into the net. At that moment, the stadium seemed to explode, and the scoreboard showed for the first time what thousands of people in the stands wanted.
Although the guests, led by new head coach Rolf Fringer and Sforza's core Türkyılmaz and Murat Yakin, increased the pressure, the home team maintained the defense. Alexander Zhidkov was confident in the goal, the defense line sacrificially closed the penalty area, and in the middle of the field, Kazbek Tuayev's students disciplinedly absorbed the opponent's attacks, not allowing them to trip. Switzerland seemed to be the favorite on paper, but there was no favorite on the field.
The main drama occurred in the 60th minute. After the whistle of referee Ryszard Wójcik, a penalty was awarded to the home team's goal. Murat Yakin's shot sent the ball wide of the goalpost. The stadium breathed a sigh of relief, and the team seemed to be given wings... Later, the players, expressing their thoughts about this episode, said that everyone understood that it was impossible to take away Azerbaijan's victory that day.
The match also had its own almost mystical moments. Around the 20th minute of the game, the President of Azerbaijan, National Leader Heydar Aliyev, also appeared in the stadium's stands. Six minutes later, the home team scores a goal - this rhythm, this energy of the stands remained a legendary part of that evening.
The coaching staff also experienced the game like an operation. In post-match comments, Tuayev spoke about the team's integrity and speed that day, while Huseynov recalled how important it was to keep the score after taking the lead. In the end, Gurban Gurbanov came on the field - the freshness and character of the substitutions helped to finish the frantic final without interruption.
Statistics and protocol only emphasize the scale of the moment: 15,000 spectators, a European giant as an opponent, a team of referees from Poland, and most importantly, the historic first official victory of the Azerbaijani team. In the FIFA ranking, the team immediately rose from 133rd to 121st place - a symbolic but well-deserved step.
The Swiss press published articles about the game with headlines such as "the new coach's difficult debut", "missed chances", and "a match where everything could be decided with one blow." Azerbaijan saw that evening as the birth of new confidence: yes, there were defeats and a long road to development ahead, but August 31, 1996 was the day when the national team first truly tasted victory and made the continent talk seriously about itself.
Today, if you close your eyes and listen carefully, you can still hear the noise of the Baku stadium - a sound that mixes relief, pride, and understanding: this is how history begins, with matches like these.
Teymur Tushiyev
Idman.biz
