Sport24.az
After the Azerbaijan-Iceland match (0:2) in the qualifying round of DÇ-2026, the head coach of the home team, Aykhan Abbasov, answered questions from journalists. Sport24.az reports that the specialist first shared his thoughts on the meeting…
– We wanted to win points, we believed in it. But it didn't work out. We knew the strength of the opponent. They were motivated to keep their chances for the last game. The Icelandic national team makes a better impression in the group than Ukraine. We played better in the second half, we had chances. We conceded simple goals. Today we had losses, but also new players. We have one last game left, we will prepare for it.
– What are your thoughts on the penalty episode?
– I don't want to give an opinion as an excuse. But today the refereeing was against us. The episode with the yellow card given to Rustam was not correct. Unfortunately, he will miss the next match. The penalty episode was also a penalty…
– What was missing in moving from defense to attack?
– We prepared for the opponent's pressing. I want to thank Emin Mahmudov. He participated in this difficult game with one training session. It was important for him to play. Our defenders lacked more composure. That's why the opponent looked more vigorous in the first half.
– How do you assess Rufat Abbasov's game?
– Today's gain was Rufat's and Khayal's performance.
– The opponent was better on the "second floor". Why did you use aerial balls in standard situations?
– It cannot be said that they were very good in defense. They also had gaps during standards.
– Abbas, who didn't get many chances in "Qarabag", was in the starting lineup today. Is there a special reason for him to play?
– If that's the case, aren't several players not playing? Why don't you say that Abdulla Khaybulayev was in the starting lineup? That's all…
– What is the reason for the failure of the game in the first half?
– Such cases happen. 2-3 players played their first game for the national team. After 15-20 minutes, we improved our game. If Khayal could have appreciated Toral's transition... At the same time, Khayal was also active. In the second half, the opponent, who was ahead in the score, switched to defense. We wanted to break through the defense, we made changes, but it didn't work. It is not possible in football for one side to play well for 90 minutes. We have seen how Iceland played in previous matches.
