“The failure to capitalize on scoring opportunities is a concern for all of us.”
These were the words of Vagif Sadygov, Chairman of the AFFA Coaches Committee, in an interview with Idman.biz, following the Azerbaijan national team's goalless draw against Latvia in a recent friendly match.
Sadygov shared his thoughts on the team's performance: “Both head coach Fernando Santos and his staff understand that these are the final test matches. It’s crucial to determine the optimal lineup during this period. There was a certain degree of stability in the squad against Latvia, but unfortunately, we couldn’t secure a positive result. Our goalless streak continues. Once again, it’s clear that there’s still a lot of work to be done. As Santos has said, a new team is taking shape, and each player’s individual skill must be channeled into collective performance. We saw some glimpses of this against Latvia. Comparing both halves, the second half was significantly better.”
Sadygov also shared his expectations for the upcoming friendly against Hungary: “Hungary is a much stronger team than Latvia. However, they haven’t been particularly successful in their recent matches. We have high hopes for our national team. I believe the players will aim to put on a good performance in front of the home fans. It will also be a psychological test to see how ready they are for official matches. Since this is the final test match, let’s hope for an encouraging performance.”
The Azerbaijan vs. Hungary match will take place tomorrow at Liv Bona Dea Arena, with kickoff scheduled for 20:00 local time.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
