"The Azerbaijan national football team wants to defeat the Sierra Leone team with the support of fans."
Idman.Biz reports that this was announced by the head coach of the national team, Aykhan Abbasov, at the pre-match press conference. The expert shared his expectations regarding the match against the Sierra Leone team within the framework of the "FIFA Series – 2026" international tournament.
Aykhan Abbasov stated that although this is the team's second game in the tournament, it is the opponent's first match, and in this sense, they have a certain advantage. However, the head coach emphasized that they are playing at home and want to win with the support of the fans. He described the opponent as a serious rival who is ahead of us in terms of rating and is coming with an optimal squad. Abbasov noted that the team should develop more from game to game and that they are fully prepared for tomorrow's match.
The head coach also drew attention to the fact that the national team will face an African representative for the first time in its history:
"We have not faced teams from this continent before, this will be a new experience. Playing against unfamiliar opponents is good for the players in terms of change. The opponent may be higher than us in the ranking, they do not earn these points for nothing. They have defenders playing in the French Ligue 1, they are technical. We expect a good game."
Saying that certain rotations are expected in the squad, the expert stated that he does not want there to be a division of "first" and "second" squad in the national team, because all players must be ready. Aykhan Abbasov emphasized that winning with the national team is a great joy for every coach and a second consecutive victory would be a serious motivation for the team. He also added that he hopes that the current year can be the best year in the history of the national team.