The head coach of Azerbaijan women’s national football team, Siyasat Asgarov, shared insights about the upcoming friendly matches, revealing that while talks were underway with Malta, an offer came from the Russian national team, which they eventually agreed to play against.
Idman.biz reports that in an interview with Report.az, Asgarov explained that before finalizing the match with Russia, discussions were also held with Malta:
"Negotiations were ongoing with Russia. In fact, there were two options - one was to play against Russia, the other was against Malta. While we were in talks with Malta, an offer came from the Russian team, and in the end, we agreed to play with them. Although the team is banned from participating in international competitions, Russia is still a very strong opponent. I wanted us to face such an opponent before the European Championship begins in February, to identify both our strengths and weaknesses."
The coach emphasized the strength of Russia as an opponent, despite the restrictions they face:
"They mostly play in Turkiye and other countries due to the bans. They are very strong in terms of quality. Some of our team members also play for Russian clubs, which is why we keep an eye on their league. Their league level has significantly improved. If FIFA and UEFA hadn’t imposed bans, they could have qualified for this year’s Nations League A Division."
Asgarov also confirmed that two more matches will be held in Baku after the games in Russia:
"We have decided that both games will take place in Russia this time, and in the next window, they will come to Baku. The exact dates for the next matches are not yet confirmed, as we can only play friendlies during certain windows."
Regarding the team’s readiness, Asgarov reassured that there were no major issues, except for a concern regarding Nazlıcan Parlak from Galatasaray:
"The only worry we have is Nazlıcan Parlak’s injury. The doctors are assessing the situation. It will be determined in the coming days if she will travel to Russia. There are no other problems with the rest of the players. I hope we will have a full squad for the matches in Russia."
The Azerbaijan women's national team will play friendly matches against Russia on November 28 at the Fisht Stadium and on December 2 at Sochi training base.
Idman.biz
