"Our players will avenge the 0-10 defeat. We will defeat France someday."
This is what Aghasalim Mirjavadov, former head coach of the Azerbaijan national football team, told Teleqraf in an interview, reflecting on the team's upcoming match against France in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Idman.biz reports.
The former footballer commented on the upcoming match between Azerbaijan and France, saying, “Eventually, we were going to face someone. In this cycle, there had to be one 'big team,' and that team turned out to be France. If it wasn't France, it would have been Croatia—there's no difference. The rule is that in a group with four or five teams, one top club will emerge. You adapt accordingly. It's well-known that to qualify, you need to earn points against the lower-ranked teams, but you also need to challenge the stronger teams, at least aiming for a draw. France is the world and European champion. I've watched their games, and today's French players are extremely dynamic and even more energetic than in previous years. We shouldn't dwell on the possibility of defeat or think about past matches. We need to focus on our own team and its development."
Mircavadov also reminisced about the infamous 0-10 defeat to France in Oser, on September 6, 1995, during his tenure as head coach: "If we're going to lose just because of France’s name, then we shouldn’t even step onto the field. Please find the video footage of that game and watch it. We created four clear goal-scoring opportunities. It was strange that shots from 25-30 meters out were finding their way into our net. Such things happen, it’s part of the game. However, we must focus on how we can improve our own play and how to approach the game in a way that can lead to positive results."
Regarding rumors that he had been asked after the match, "Did you play without a goalkeeper?" Mircavadov responded, "Do you think anyone would ask me such a thing? These kinds of discussions happen in teahouses or, to be honest, in the markets. Why doesn’t anyone write about my successes? Because it doesn’t suit them. Everyone just wants to create noise."
The French national team recently defeated Croatia 2-0 and 0-2 in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals, eventually winning 5-4 on penalties. In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Azerbaijan will be in Group D alongside France, Ukraine, and Iceland.
Idman.biz
