On Monday, October 13, the Ukrainian national team will play its fourth qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup against the Azerbaijani national team in Krakow. A day before, the acting head coach of the Azerbaijani national team, Ayhan Abbasov, held a pre-match press conference.
— We are expecting another intense match. Our previous meeting with France was away, and once again we are playing away. It’s tough to have two consecutive away games. There’s just a two-day break. Players can feel fatigued. But we will try to change something and be better. I believe in the team and the players. Just as we fought against France, we must do the same here. We need to be even better in this meeting if we want to earn points.
Ukraine is preparing for this game as if it were a final. In their last challenging away match, they secured an important victory. It’s tough for everyone to play in Iceland. After a draw in the first game in Baku (1:1), Ukraine will treat us differently. But this does not worry us. We must fight without fear. We told this to the players. I believe we’ll have such a fight tomorrow," Abbasov noted.
— Will the tactic for tomorrow’s match be different? Or will you play on counterattacks?
— The current difference between the Azerbaijani and Ukrainian national teams is known. It’s important to see what happens during the game, whether what we’ve worked on will succeed. We have some thoughts. It would be wrong to talk about it now. There will be some changes considering the opponent. We will fight.
— What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Ukrainian team?
— This team has strong and individually skilled players. They showed this in the last match. During the opponent analysis, we showed this to the team. They have a good attack. They play in good European clubs. There is a strong defender playing for PSG. All of this speaks to the team’s skill. Since we already played the first match, we know this team even better.
— Who will be left out of the squad of 23 players tomorrow, and why?
— Yes, these players are already known. Unfortunately, Ismayil Ibrahimli and Jeyhun Nuriyev were not included in the first game either. Ismayil received a minor injury during training in France, and Jeyhun is ill. Renat Dadashov will also be left out due to not being fully ready.
— Serhiy Rebrov, speaking about the game in Baku, tried to undermine the value of the point you earned with various excuses...
— It was our first game. At that time, we hadn’t fully analyzed the opponent. The field wasn’t that bad—perhaps a bit heavier than in Europe. But, in my opinion, we deserved one point. Our players fought well. Ukraine was better at creating goal-scoring opportunities, but in that game, we truly deserved a draw.
— There was information that the luggage arrived late. Did this affect your plans?
— We held a training session, and there were no major issues. Yes, some things were delayed, but yesterday’s plan didn’t change. Recovery took place at the hotel, and those who didn’t play trained. This could probably be considered slight pressure, but there are no problems. Everything is fine.
— Rebrov also said that they need points more than Azerbaijan. What will you answer?
— I told my players one thing: the next group match with Iceland can be made very important for us. They deserved the right to experience these emotions. I very much want us to make the game with Iceland in Baku truly significant.