An interview of Samir Aliyev, former striker of the Azerbaijani national team, to futbolinfo.az
- Our team will play its first match in the qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup against Iceland on September 5. Can our team achieve a good result in this match?
- I recently read an interview with Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev, the goalkeeper of our national team, I don't know if it's true or not. But according to him, football players used to come to the national team more willingly. In this regard, the level of motivation of the national team members will be visible in the game. I hope that Fernandu Santush will prepare the team well for this match and will be able to please us with a beautiful game.
4 days after the match with Iceland, we will host the Ukrainian national team in Baku. How do you assess the chances in this meeting?
The Ukrainian national team, together with France, is considered the favorite of the group and has a strong squad. Let's hope that, as in every qualifying round, we will be able to make a sensation this time.
- Who do you expect to score goals in the matches against Iceland and Ukraine in the national team?
- The reality is that today there are players with and without game practice in their clubs among the players invited to the national team. There are several positions where there are serious problems. No one but Santush knows who will play. In this regard, it is difficult to say who can score. Goals can also be expected from the football players in the attacking line, as well as from our defenders during standard situations.
- In general, how many points do you expect our team to finish the qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup?
- As I mentioned, if we look at the history, we will see that we have had winning games in every qualifying round. This has been going on from 1996 until now. During this period, we defeated Switzerland, Serbia, Norway, Finland, etc. It is possible for us to beat any team in this qualifying round as well.
- What do you think about "Qarabag"'s opponents in the Champions League? Do you think our champion will be among the 24 teams that will advance to the next stage and write a new history?
- The Champions League is a completely different level and there are no weak opponents there. It will be difficult for "Qarabag" in the League stage. However, I am sure that our champion will delight the fans with their game.
İdman.biz