Interview with Yacoub Doua, President of the Mauritania Minifootball Federation, for AZERTAC
– What can you say about the organization of the World Cup, hosted for the first time in Baku?
– I knew Azerbaijan would take this tournament seriously because your national team is one of the top contenders for the title. I had attended the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and upon arriving in Baku, I felt like I was witnessing a mini version of that global event. The similarities were striking. The organization here has exceeded my expectations — everything is flawless.
– What are your thoughts on the National Gymnastics Arena, where the tournament is being held?
– The facilities created for the athletes are excellent. I was truly impressed.
– Mauritania lost 2-0 to Azerbaijan in the final group match. How would you assess that game?
– Based on the result of the match between Bahrain and Slovenia, we could have approached our game against Azerbaijan more comfortably. However, Bahrain’s victory made things more complicated for us. That's why we went into the match aiming for a win and focused more on defense. But we are a team that prefers to keep possession of the ball. Unfortunately, we allowed Azerbaijan too much of it, and they capitalized with two goals.
– How do you evaluate Azerbaijan’s chances in this World Cup?
– There are many strong teams in the tournament, but Azerbaijan is definitely among the best. True, they didn't perform very well in their first match against Bahrain — perhaps due to the pressure. However, in our match, they showed how capable they truly are.
– Are there any Azerbaijani players who stood out to you?
– I would highlight Elvin Alizada and Ramiz Chovdarov. Elvin is a very experienced player, and considering his age, this might be his last tournament.
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