"Our opponents' strength is obvious. We are expecting very tough, important, and responsibility-filled games in September. We will make sure the team is prepared for every match."
Azerbaijan national team player Mahir Emreli shared his thoughts with AZERTAC regarding the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup European qualifiers, Idman.biz reports.
The 27-year-old striker commented on being placed in a four-team group: "This is not the first time such a situation has occurred. Since I've been playing for the national team, we've never been drawn into the same group with smaller but solid teams like Estonia and San Marino. If I'm not mistaken, we've only faced Estonia in a qualification match once. Certainly, it won't be an easy opponent. This squad has improved significantly compared to previous years. Therefore, it's perfectly normal that we are not in a five-team group."
He also emphasized that playing against strong teams like France and Croatia would be a valuable experience for the players: "For us, facing such teams is both enjoyable and responsible. France are World Cup champions and runners-up, while Croatia is third in the World Cup. One of these teams will be our opponent. We will do our best in the qualifiers, prepare properly, and play bold football. Our main goal is that right now. But, while playing bold football, we must not lose our heads and should remain cautious. We will listen to the instructions from our coaches and follow the tasks given to us."
Currently playing for FC Nürnberg in Germany's II Bundesliga, Emreli mentioned that it is difficult to make predictions at this stage: "Honestly, I don't like to make predictions. I can't say right now which position we will be fighting for in the group. I just hope we will achieve good results."
The Azerbaijan national team will compete in Group D of the qualifiers, alongside the winners of the France/Croatia matchup, as well as Ukraine and Iceland. The matches for this group will begin in September 2025.
Idman.biz
