Azerbaijan have chance to beat Czechia in futsal, says expert

Azerbaijan’s futsal national team have a chance to beat Czechia in the main round of the 2028 FIFA Futsal World Cup qualifiers. Futsal expert Elman Alakbarov said the team had prepared well for the match in Lankaran and assessed its performance in the first, away leg positively.

“The players did not perform badly in the first match against the opponent. Coach Elvin Guliyev sets the team up very well. Czechia are not a weak team; they have experienced players who have played together for 10 to 15 years. Azerbaijan’s squad, meanwhile, has been rejuvenated. Although they lack experience, the futsal players are making a good impression,” Alakbarov said.

He said he expected Azerbaijan to win the match in Lankaran, putting the teams’ chances at 20 to 80.

Alakbarov also stressed the importance of match experience for the development of young futsal players. He said the national team should play at least seven or eight friendly matches a year to help the players gain experience.

The futsal expert noted that the domestic championship has few teams and that its quality is not high. He said young players should receive more attention and investment in their development, adding that defeats should also be accepted as a normal part of the game.

The Azerbaijan-Czechia match will kick off at 16:00 today at the Lankaran Olympic Sports Complex.