Idman.biz
Over three decades, the Azerbaijan Cup in football has gone from the first matches held in front of half-empty stands to becoming the country's most unpredictable tournament, identifying 10 different winners of the cup during this time. The history of the competition, which began in 1992, reflects the development of national sports. Here, regional clubs have competed on an equal footing with the capital's giants.
İdman.Biz recalls that the first winner of the tournament in 1992 was the Baku "Inshaatchi" football club. The team won 2:1 in extra time against the "Kur" club of Mingachevir. Already in the next season, the Agdam "Karabakh" football club won its first cup title. The legendary Mushfig Huseynov scored the only goal in the 97th minute against the "Inshaatchi" club of Sabirabad.
The 90s era passed with the dominance of the Ganja "Kapaz" football club. Under the leadership of Mehman Allahverdiyev, nicknamed "The Emperor", the team won all four finals. In crucial matches, the Ganja team defeated "Karabakh" twice (1998, 2000), and also defeated "Khazar" of Lankaran (1994) and "Khazri" of Baku (1997). In parallel, "Neftchi" also strengthened its position and became a six-time cup winner. The 1999 final was particularly dramatic. At that time, the Baku team won against "Shamkir" in a penalty shootout thanks to Jahangir Hasanzadeh's save.
In the 2000s, the geography of the winners expanded due to the "golden era" of "Khazar-Lankaran" and the successes of "Baku" FC. Under the leadership of Agaselim Mirjavadov, the Lankaran team won the cup twice in a row in 2007 and 2008. However, the modern era is inextricably linked with the name of Gurban Gurbanov. His "Karabakh" set an absolute record by increasing the number of cup victories to eight. The Agdam team was unattainable for rivals three times in a row in 2015–2017, including winning on principle over "Neftchi".
Recent years have been remembered with the return of intrigue: "Gabala" and "Keshla" (now "Shamakhi") broke the hegemony of the leaders, raising the cup over their heads twice. The 2025 final was a real sensation. In that game, "Sabah" took the victory from "Karabakh" in an extra-time thriller match thanks to Mutallimov's decisive goal in the 120th minute (3:2).
The newest history of the tournament continued in the 2025/26 season with the confrontation between "Sabah" and "Zira". The final will be held today at 20:00 at the "Palms Sport Arena" stadium.
It should be reminded that more than 300 high-scoring matches have been recorded throughout the history of the tournament. The productivity record (14:0) was set twice: in 1997 by the Azerbaijan national team of football players under 18 and in 2004 by the "Shafa" club. Gurban Gurbanov remains the most titled head coach with six cups, followed by Mehman Allahverdiyev (four wins).
Eldar Janashvili
