Azerbaijan national basketball team forward Jabrayil Akbarov believes fatigue played a decisive role in his side's 76-70 defeat to Ireland in the FIBA EuroBasket 2029 pre-qualifiers.
Speaking to İdman.Biz after the game, Akbarov said the team's demanding travel schedule affected its performance in the closing stages of the contest.
"In my opinion, we were extremely tired. The game in Luxembourg and then the trip back to Baku took a lot out of us. Physically, we couldn't maintain the same intensity until the end of the game. Nevertheless, we fought until the final buzzer. I don't want to talk about my own performance. Whether we win or lose, it belongs to the whole team," Akbarov said.
Despite the defeat, the forward highlighted the progress made by Azerbaijan over the past year.
"I'm satisfied with our team. A year ago, we lost to Ireland by 30 points, and we were suffering similar defeats against other opponents. This time we earned two victories, beating both Ireland and Luxembourg away from home. I'm confident we'll achieve even better results in the next qualifying campaigns."
The loss to Ireland marked Azerbaijan's final game of the current EuroBasket 2029 preliminary qualifying stage. Players will now return to their clubs to begin preparations for the upcoming Azerbaijan Basketball League season.
Akbarov also revealed that his club future remains undecided but admitted he hopes to continue his career in European competitions.
"I don't have a concrete plan for next season yet, but I want to play in European club competitions. There are several offers, and discussions are ongoing. I think everything will become clear within the next two weeks."
