Samir Aliyev, the head coach of the U-23 national team of Azerbaijan, which played its last game in the group stage of the V Islamic Solidarity Games, spoke to the affa.az website:
"When we came to the tournament, we faced a number of difficulties with the team, we could not bring exactly the team we wanted. We are struggling with a very young squad compared to our opponents. As the last champion, our main goal was to have a decent competition. I would like to thank each member of the team for showing all their skills in both the first and second games. The hot weather and our lack of physical condition compared to the opponent affected our game. We showed determination in the first half and went into the break with the lead. We analyzed the opponent's game. We knew that they would make certain mistakes during the game. Our guess was right. Unfortunately, we could not fully use the opportunities. If we could evaluate the episodes, the score would be different, we would qualify for the semi-finals with a win, not a draw. The important thing is that we got qualified for the semi-finals. The children demonstrated that they deserve it with their game, perseverance and troubles. There is a great possibility that our opponent in the semi-final will be the Turkish national team. We are thinking of giving a chance to players who have not appeared in the next game."
