"The national team players are by no means in ideal athletic shape. In the match against Iceland, it was clear that they couldn’t fulfill the tactical and technical tasks."
Idman.biz reports that these words were said by Kamal Bayramov in an interview with Sport24.az.
The veteran goalkeeper shared his expectations for the upcoming World Cup 2026 qualifier against Ukraine: "Of the squad called up, six players play regularly for their clubs, the rest do not. When making any decisions, we must think about our national team. As the championship progresses, the number of local players who play consistently will decrease. In the match against Iceland, we saw that removing the limit was not a beneficial decision for us. Not only in the national team, but even in the U-21 match against Portugal, only part of the squad could cope. Those players are not regular starters in their clubs. In the match against Ukraine, we would like to see a good game, but the motivation of our players is low, so I do not expect a successful result. Only through character can something be achieved. This is the responsibility of the players themselves; the coach has no role in it."
The Azerbaijan vs. Ukraine match will take place on September 9 at 20:00 at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium.
Idman.biz
