"It’s hard to predict how the match will go," said Jeyhun Sultanov, a former player of the Azerbaijan national team, in an interview with Idman.biz ahead of the friendly match against Haiti.
Sultanov emphasized the importance of giving every called-up player a chance: "There are new players in the squad. I believe all of them should be given an opportunity to showcase their potential. Every one of the 25 selected players should be utilized. The result is not the priority here—what matters is evaluating how suitable these players are for the national team. Friendly matches are essential for team cohesion, squad assessment, and identifying weaknesses."
Regarding injuries, Sultanov noted that the absence of certain key players should not have a significant impact on the team’s performance:
"Whether Emin Mahmudov or Abbas Huseynov play in these matches is not crucial. The national team is not built solely around them. If they are unavailable, there are 25 other players to replace them. I don't think injuries will cause major problems."
He also refrained from making predictions for the friendly match against Belarus, stressing that such matches are about evaluating gameplay rather than focusing on results: "I don’t want to comment on our chances of winning either game since they are just friendlies. The priority is to observe the players, understand the playing style, and assess how well they implement the coach’s instructions. Of course, winning is always important, but it would be wrong to focus solely on 11 players when we have 25 in the squad."
Azerbaijan will face Haiti on March 22 at the Mehdi Huseynzada Stadium in Sumgayit and Belarus on March 25 at Bank Respublika Arena.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
