"We will try to win tomorrow."
Azerbaijan national team head coach Fernando Santos shared this statement during a press conference ahead of the friendly match against Haiti, Idman.biz reports.
The Portuguese coach emphasized that they are facing a strong opponent:
"They have quality players. Together with my coaching staff, we have analyzed their last five or six matches. As a team, we have studied them in detail. In training, we have worked on our observations. Tomorrow’s match will be very interesting.
Haiti is a team that favors attacking football. They typically play with two very dynamic forwards. They recover quickly after losing possession and launch another attack.
Our training sessions have been of high quality. We want to beat Haiti. Of course, this match won’t earn us any points, but as a national team, we never want to lose."
- Will the newly called-up players get a chance in this or the next match?
- I can’t reveal tomorrow’s lineup yet.
- How is the team spirit in the squad?
- We have had excellent training sessions, and the players’ morale is high. We will try to win tomorrow. Friendly matches between national teams are never truly ‘friendly.’ Yes, there are no points at stake, but as a team, we do not want to lose. This match against Haiti is very important for us.
- Haiti’s players are physically stronger. Compared to them, our players seem weaker in this aspect. How can we gain an advantage?
- If we play as a strong unit, we can neutralize their physical strength. Player characteristics are what they are—you can’t change that. However, football is not just about physicality. Tactics are more important. Football is a game where everyone must be ready to compete.
- Did you watch the Croatia vs. France match?
- Tomorrow, we are playing against Haiti, not France or Croatia. When they become our opponents, we will discuss them. Right now, my only focus is Haiti.
- So far, only 1,300 tickets have been sold for the match. What do you think about this?
- Support from the fans is very important. Since I arrived, I’ve noticed that attendance at domestic league matches is low. However, Azerbaijani fans strongly support teams playing in European competitions. The last match with a big crowd was the Neftchi vs. Qarabag game, which had over 9,000 spectators. The atmosphere was fantastic, and the intensity of the match increased as a result. I hope to see a similar level of support for the national team as well. I understand the fans—they expect only victories from the team.
Azerbaijan will face Haiti on March 22 and Belarus on March 25 in friendly matches.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
