An interview with Amil Hamzayev, the basketball player for the Azerbaijan national team, for Idman.biz
- Our national team’s only victory in the 1st qualifying stage of the 2027 FIBA World Cup European zone was against Kosovo. How do you assess our team’s chances in this match?
- Today, we’ll be playing one of the crucial games in the group. In my opinion, our chances of winning are 50-50.
- What factors do you think contribute to balancing the chances between the teams?
- We have a chance to finish second in the group. We will do our best to achieve that. We understand that away games are always harder, and since the opponent also has a chance, both teams will fight with all their might. We will aim to be the stronger side. Our preparations are complete, and we’ve had our final training session with the full squad. I believe everything will go well.
- Looking at the squad, we can see a mix of experienced players and younger ones.
- I’d even say there are fewer experienced players; the number of younger players is higher. However, among the young players, some have national team experience. I believe we’re going into this match with the best possible lineup.
- You’ve probably analyzed the opponent’s games. As the captain, what are the key points you’re cautious about?
- The fan factor. Since they’re playing at home, we’re concerned that the opponent will come into the match with high morale.
- How do you plan to counter this? What tactics will you prioritize?
- From the very first minutes of the game, we’ll aim to break their momentum. We’ll try to do this with tough fouls or different moves. We don’t want to hand over full control of the game to the home team right from the start. If we can achieve this in the beginning, I believe we’ll be able to keep the game close and potentially win until the very end.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
