The Azerbaijan national football team has suffered back-to-back losses in two consecutive friendly matches played at home.
This is the first such series in the 33-year history of the national team, Idman.biz reports.
Under Fernando Santos's lead, the team lost 0-3 to Haiti on March 22. Three days later, Belarus triumphed with a 2-0 victory.
Since playing its first official match in 1992 and hosting its first home game a year later, the national team had never lost two consecutive friendly matches at home. While defeats in qualification stages and the Nations League, both at home and away, have been common, consecutive losses in friendly matches were a rarity, especially given the infrequent visits by strong teams to Azerbaijan. Now, under Fernando Santos, the team has experienced this rare occurrence.
Before the March friendlies, the national team had only played 30 home friendlies, suffering just four losses. In 1996, Turkiye, in 2009, Spain, in 2011, North Macedonia, and in 2018, Belarus, had all won in Baku. Spain won 6-0, while the others won 1-0. Haiti became the fifth team to achieve this feat, while Belarus became the first team to win two friendly matches in Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan lost to Haiti in Sumgayit and to Belarus in Baku.
Vugar Kheyrullayev
Idman.biz
