On the initiative of the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) and with the support of the Social Services Agency, football training sessions continue in orphanages No. 1 and No. 2. This project not only develops children's physical abilities but also gives them a chance to prove themselves.
One of the specialists who conducts training sessions at the orphanage twice a week is the coach of "Araz-Nakhchivan" women's teams of different age groups, Irada Guliyeva. She invited two graduates of orphanage No. 1, which is under the Social Services Agency, to "Araz-Nakhchivan" — Ganira Zeynalova and Elza Rasulzade.
In a conversation with İdman.Biz, Irada Guliyeva noted that both girls have great potential: "I especially want to highlight Ganira. She is 14 years old. She is very talented and is already capable of competing for a place in the national team. Ganira started as an outfield player, but I noticed that she is not afraid of the ball, is very determined, and suggested that she try herself as a goalkeeper. And I was not mistaken — she is doing very well. Elza plays in the striker position."
According to Guliyeva, both girls continue to train at the orphanage, but they are regularly invited to participate in "Araz-Nakhchivan" matches.
"All these children — both girls and boys — train with full dedication. They are truly passionate about sports, especially football. There are many gifted kids there. If each club had at least one or two orphanage graduates playing, it would already have a positive impact on the development of football in the country. And for the children themselves, this is a real chance to succeed," she emphasized.
The coach also noted that such initiatives will help identify more talented girls, who are sometimes difficult to attract to football: "Now the situation in this regard is easier than before. But in any case, not every parent agrees to let their daughter play football."
Continuing the topic of women's football, Irada Guliyeva touched upon the issue of female coaches, noting that their number is growing every year: "AFFA conducts coaching courses in which more and more women participate, including former footballers. Of course, it is not easy for a female coach to start her career from scratch. But when clubs hire them, it makes the path much easier. If a person is a professional in their field, there should be no prejudice — and usually there is none."
In conclusion, she shared her opinion that female footballers often feel more comfortable working with female coaches:
"I do not want to offend male coaches, but I think it is psychologically easier for girls to work with women. There is a factor of shyness — not every girl can openly talk about certain issues with a male coach. In Azerbaijan, they now often try to involve a female assistant coach or a female doctor in women's teams when the head coach is a man. In Soviet times, there were only men working with teams, and we could share personal matters only with the team captain. Now in "Araz-Nakhchivan" I have an entirely female staff: administrator, doctor, massage therapist — all women. I am comfortable with that."
