Kanan Manafov: We were behind Libya in terms of international match experience

The Azerbaijani futsal team lagged behind the Libyan team in terms of international match experience at the VI Islamic Solidarity Games. According to Sport24.az, this was stated by team member Kanan Manafov in a statement to the press service of the Futsal Federation.

He stated that the opponent was experienced:

"We faced a strong opponent. It is a team that qualified for the World Championship and is made up of experienced futsal players. Most of those in our squad are young and we were behind the opponent in terms of international match experience. The preparation process for the Islamic Solidarity Games was also short. These were the conditions before the game. On the field, we were a determined, enthusiastic team that fought to the end. As a result of our fighting spirit, we finally won and gained 3 points."

K.Manafov also spoke about the next opponent:

"In the next game we will face the Uzbekistan national team. Our opponent is considered one of the favorites of the tournament. We watched their match against Saudi Arabia. They are a stronger team than Libya. It will be difficult, but we will continue the fight to the end. Every victory and point gained increases self-confidence."

The striker also revealed the initial task set for the national team:

"The team has goals. The initial task is to advance from the group stage to the semi-finals. We will move towards the goal step by step."

He noted that the organization was excellent:

"We haven't encountered any problems so far. Both the conditions in the Olympic Village where we stay, the situation with food, and the game and training halls are excellent. The management is also always with the team. It remains to fulfill the task and return to Baku with a medal."

It should be noted that the Azerbaijani national team defeated Libya 5:4 in the group A match.