Yashar Vahabzade: Primary target for the IV Islamic Games to make it out of group

Baku. 3 May. REPORT.AZ/ “We started training camps on May 1. At present there are 16 players in the team. The remaining 7 will join us after Azerbaijan Cup final. Boys well understand the seriousness of the tournament”.

Report informs, said Yashar Vahabzade, manager of U-23 national football team, who will perform in the IV Islamic Solidarity Games.

In press conference at the AFFA Football Center, the 57-year-old specialist said that the main goal at Islamic Games is to show a good game. He expressed his satisfaction on the fact of sale of all tickets for football matches: “Sale of tickets is associated with great interest. We will try to please the fans. The main goal is to make it out of the group. Then we will see what’s next”.

Y. Vahabzade clarified the issue of not including Kamran Agayev, the goalkeeper, left without club at the moment, and “Inter” striker Rauf Aliyev, the top scorer of Azerbaijan Premier League with 11 goals. The head coach told that when making selection, he was keeping in mind the game with Northern Ireland on May 10: “As a manager I would like to include more players from the main team. However, there is a match with Northern Ireland in 2018 World Cup qualification group stage. We have to take this into account. That’s why we haven’t included Kamran Agayev and the other player into national team for Islamic Games. Regarding Rauf Aliyev, I could select only three adult players. That’s why I chose Agabala Ramazanov, Rashad Sadigov and Ruslan Abishov. Regarding players of attacking line: Mirabdulla Abbasov had a good season with “Sumgait”, Mahir Madatov is a prospective player. We preferred them”.

Notably, football matches at the IV Islamic Games will be played during May 8-21. Azerbaijan national team will be in group A with Cameron, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.