The Azerbaijan national football team will play its next matches as part of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on November 13 against Iceland and three days later against France.
Ahead of the matches to be held in Baku, Oqtay Abdullayev, head of the Football Veterans Union and member of the Board of Turan Tovuz, told fanat.az his views on what he expects from these meetings and what changes have taken place in the team after Aykhan Abbasov's appointment.
The veteran footballer emphasized that “it is possible to fight and win against Iceland. But it will be difficult against France. Aykhan cannot be blamed. He took over the team during the cycle. The opponents are also tough. We say that we can get points from Iceland, but they have a chance to be second in the group. At least, I am confident that we will achieve a draw.
AFFA's trust in Aykhan Abbasov was as pleasant to me as it was to most people. First of all, I have always been a supporter of any local coach, and I will remain in my position in the future. As for Aykhan, he played and coached in Turan. He took Sumgayit to the European Cup. He has gained experience and is a proven coach. After his arrival, our national team is playing well, and its recent improvements are obvious. This gives everyone hope for good results in the upcoming games.”