While we often criticize the Azerbaijan national football team for its poor results, the future of Azerbaijani football doesn’t seem to bring much joy either, as even the youth teams of teenage players are struggling.
According to Idman.biz, both the U19 and U17 national teams of Azerbaijan have completed the qualifying rounds of the European Championship with just one point. The U19 team lost 0-4 to Ireland, while the U17 team was defeated 0-3 by Greece and Hungary, indicating a clear gap in strength between Azerbaijan and their opponents.
Particularly concerning is the U19 team’s inability to compete for third place in their group with Moldova, despite being in the third pot during the draw. Unfortunately, after three consecutive qualifiers without a victory, expectations are not high. The last win for the U-19 team in official competitions was a 2-0 victory over Luxembourg in 2021.
Regarding the most recent competition, only one foreign-based player, Hasan Nazarli of Ankaragucu, was part of the squad. He scored both goals in the 2-2 draw with Moldova.
Elkhan Abdullayev, who has previously worked as an assistant coach in the senior national team and managed clubs like Qarabag and Neftchi, has been unable to turn things around for the U-19 team. Including friendly matches, the team is now on a 10-game winless streak.
On the other hand, Ilham Yadullayev, the coach of the U-17 team, has less experience as a coach but has represented the national team 37 times as a player. Despite this, the U17 team also struggles, with players from clubs in Spain, Germany, Switzerland, and Serbia, yet they only managed to score one goal in the recent competition – courtesy of Ali Bay Mahmudov of Sabah.
The U17 team hasn’t won a qualifying match in two tournaments. Their last victory was in 2022, when they beat a weak Liechtenstein team 8-0.
With both U19 and U17 teams failing to achieve successful results and lacking a winning mentality, it is difficult to imagine how these players will perform in the senior national team in a few years.
However, changes in the senior team are already needed due to age-related concerns. Under Fernando Santos, the average age of the team was over 27 in some matches. Key players such as Badavi Huseynov (33) and Emin Mahmudov (32) are over 30, and others like Coshqun Diniyev, Abbas Huseynov, and Aleksey Isayev (all 29), as well as Ramil Sheydayev, Rahil Mammadov (both 28), Bahlul Mustafazada, and Mahir Emreli (both 27), are all approaching 30.
Santos’s decision to give 21-year-old Rza Jafarov the goalkeeper position over 32-year-old Mehdi Cannatov was a surprising yet forward-looking move. Similarly, forward Nariman Akhundzade, also 21, has been one of the youngest players to receive chances under the new coach.
The question remains: what will the future of Azerbaijani football hold with such gaps in results and a reliance on aging players?
Rasim Movsumzadeh
Idman.biz
