Former Azerbaijan national team coach Arif Asadov commented on the team’s results in Group D matches of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against France (0:3) and Ukraine (1:2).
Arif Asadov— We played against strong teams away under the guidance of a new coach. The expectation from these games was, first of all, to see the team. Under Fernando Santos, we had a toothless and spiritless team. The Portuguese did not give their all, hence the dismal results. In the last three games under Aykhan Abbasov, we saw a completely different team. Yes, in skill we are inferior to the French and Ukrainians, but character and desire were present.
We did everything we could. In these aspects, the team justified itself. I liked how the team acted in defense, there was discipline. In attack, of course, we looked weak, but with France, it can be attributed to the strength of the opponent. We looked better against Ukraine. Despite the defeats, which are unpleasant, we saw light at the end of the tunnel. It is evident that we are improving game by game, — Asadov is confident.
