From December 6 to 8, the capital of Kazakhstan will host the “Astana Cup,” an international tournament for young footballers born in 2014, dedicated to the 180th anniversary of the great Kazakh poet and thinker Abay Kunanbayulu.
According to Idman.Biz, citing AZERTAC, around 200 children from seven countries will take part in the competition. Azerbaijan is represented by the youth team of Baku’s “Qarabag” football club.
Shöhrət Yusifov, head coach of Qarabag’s U12 team, told journalists that six matches are planned during the tournament and the main goal is to give young players international experience:
“Win or lose – it doesn’t matter. At this age, our primary goal is the technical and tactical development of the children. They need to master basic techniques and game understanding in their early years, and that is our priority.”
The coach added that the aim is to achieve a respectable result under the name of “Qarabag”:
“If we focus only on results, we would take away the opportunity for the children to develop through playing. The main thing is that they gain experience and progress. Each game is a separate stage of development for them. Considering our team’s level, our chances of finishing among the medalists are high. Currently, our match against Kazakhstan’s Qyzyljar ended 2-0 in our favor. Our next game will be against Kazakhstan’s Saran team.”
In addition to Azerbaijani players, young athletes from Russia, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan have arrived in Astana. Kazakhstan is represented by ten teams in the tournament.
The event is organized with the support of the Astana city Akimat and aims to promote youth football, strengthen international sports cooperation, and encourage a healthy lifestyle among children.
