Elkhan Abdullayev, head coach of Azerbaijan Under-19 team, made a statement to the AFFA press service after the first match against Iceland within the Slovenia Nations Cup friendly tournament held in Slovenia.
Head coach noted that the players fought hard in the match and won 2-1: “It was our first game within the training camp. We witnessed a tense fight. Iceland was a strong opponent. Despite this, my boys showed good character, and each of them deserves applause. We scored two beautiful goals. Although I am satisfied with the result, there were some mistakes during the match. We will work on these mistakes. I congratulate my players, and I expect a better fight from them in the upcoming matches.”
Elkhan Abdullayev compared the opponents in the international tournament to the Under-19 team's opponents in the UEFA Under-19 Championship qualifying round: “We have already forgotten the game against Iceland, and we must first prepare for the match against the Faroe Islands, and then against Poland. As you know, in the qualifying round in November we will face the Czech Republic, Northern Ireland and Malta. We have chosen opponents similar in style to these teams for the test matches. Overall, we are very satisfied with the organization. Very good conditions have been created for the camp.”
Note that Azerbaijan Under-19 team will play the next matches within the tournament on September 6 against the Faroe Islands and on September 9 against Poland.
