"The team did everything it could."
This is what Tahir Bakhshiyev, head coach of the Azerbaijan men's basketball team, stated in an interview with Idman.biz.
He evaluated the national team’s performance in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers match against Kosovo.
Bakhshiyev emphasized that referee decisions played a role in the loss, saying, "Before the match, I had said that the chances were 50-50. Despite this, the players fought until the end. We could have won this match. Although I don’t like discussing officiating, I must say that the referees' decisions favored Kosovo, which caused us difficulties. I believe the players played well. We really wanted to win this match, but it didn’t happen."
The match ended with a score of 79-81 in favor of Kosovo. Azerbaijan will play its final match in the qualifying round against Ireland on February 23 in Baku.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
