OMM Newsroom
Kapaz head coach Azar Mammadov answered journalists’ questions after his side’s 1-0 defeat to Neftchi in the 11th round of the Misli Premier League. He began by congratulating the Azerbaijani people on Victory Day, paying tribute to fallen servicemen and wishing good health to veterans.
Mammadov said his team had wanted to earn points against the league leaders and their long-standing rivals: “The players tried. We did not come here to lose; we wanted to take a point or points. Unfortunately, we lost. Despite everything, I thank the players. I wish our national team success. We need to work harder during the break. I believe these players and Kapaz will continue to add colour to our league.”
Tactical change and the next match
The head coach said replacing Benito at half-time was a tactical decision. “We started the first half with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Neftchi were more active on the wings. In the second half, we decided to change the formation and play in a 4-5-1 system,” he said.
Mammadov described David Domgjoni’s absence as a loss, but said he was pleased with the performance of Urfan Abbasov, who played in his position. According to the coach, Abbasov had played in that position before and carried out his duties well.
Mammadov said he viewed the match against Qarabag as an opportunity to earn three points. He said the game would be difficult, but his team would play in its home city with the support of its fans: “We will also go into the match against Qarabag to win.”
Namik Alasgarov and academies
Mammadov said he was pleased that Namik Alasgarov had been called up to the national team. According to him, no one from Kapaz had been called up for five years. Alasgarov joined Kapaz, who are battling to stay in the Premier League, from Zira; the work he has put in in Ganja, along with the efforts of his teammates, led to the call-up. The coach wished the player success.
The head coach stressed that fundamental changes to the strategy and structure of football academies in the western region were needed to ensure Ganja players were called up to the national team.
