Sport24.az
After the Azerbaijan vs. Saint Lucia match (6:1) in the "FIFA Series 2026" friendly tournament, Aykhan Abbasov, the head coach of the home team, answered journalists' questions. Sport24.az reports that the specialist first shared his thoughts on the game…
– I thank the fans who did not leave us alone in this weather. As for the game, it is difficult to play in such weather. Both teams were struggling. Nevertheless, we saw the players' work, attention, and desire to score. This is gratifying for our self-confidence. There were new names in the squad. We don't have much time for the next game. We are preparing. We want to win. The opponent is stronger, a better team. We want to be ready for the match and make our fans happy with a good result.
– What did this game give to our national team, and what did you want to see, and what did you see?
– All of our previous games were against very serious opponents. We were proud of the fighting spirit of the players in the national team. We know that we have to win in the League of Nations. Today, the players had the desire to score and win. In the national team's games, I think the result is important. Every point, every statistic is important.
– Why did the players approach the game in an Azerbaijani style? Even though we were leading 4:1, the player was simulating on the opponent's field…
– This is not the right opinion. Today, the weather conditions must be taken into account; there was slipperiness. We don't want to lose any players in the League of Nations. We must pay attention to such cases.
– There were many changes. Did you want to find the optimal form, or did you want to give everyone a chance?
– We want to give everyone a chance, to see. There is competition in the team. There may be changes in the squad. There is also the issue of injuries. Some players are in better shape. We see everyone. Today's game was an extra chance.
– Did the criticism against you in the last 24 hours interfere with the preparation for the game?
– It was necessary to maintain focus. We didn't focus too much on this issue. I accept criticism normally. If we are open-minded, everyone may not like it; everyone has their own opinion. This is the national team. When the national team's squad is announced, everyone has their own versions; it's normal. I am sure of one thing: my forehead is clear, I never approach anything with prejudice, and I never will. Sometimes it seems that what is inside someone is what they think.
– Did you know that the score of 6:1 would be a record?
– It was announced at yesterday's press conference; we knew. It was recalled. We did not give the players such an order that it must be a record. We wanted the game, tempo, attacks, goals. Scoring a lot of goals is gratifying.
– How does winning this victory in Sumgayit affect you? Can you come up with a proposal to hold the next official games here?
– Sumgayit is native to me. I have worked here for almost 4 years. We have signed firsts. We want the national team's games to be held in the regions as well. Sumgayit is one of these options.
– The next meeting is against Sierra Leone. Will today's performance cause any changes in the plans against the next opponent?
– We had two game plans. We were thinking of making many changes both before and after the game. We might not have done it. But the score allowed us to take this step. We gave some players a rest. We want to play the next game differently. We are also thinking about the games with Lithuania and Liechtenstein. We want to see some things in these games. We played with a different system in the last 15 minutes.
