The Azerbaijan national football team’s squad announcement today featured an unexpected inclusion from the First League.
Idman.biz reports that head coach Fernando Santos has called up Shahin Shahniyarov, who currently plays for Gabala.
This marks a rare moment in history, as he becomes the first player in 20 years to be selected for the national team while playing in the second tier of Azerbaijani football.
A Rare Occurrence in Azerbaijani Football
No foreign coach had made such a selection before, though similar instances have occurred in the past.
The "Golden Boy" Selection
The first player from Azerbaijan’s lower leagues to be called up to the national team was Zaur Taghizada, also known as the “Golden Boy” of Azerbaijani football. Unlike Shahniyarov, Taghizada was already an established star before dropping to the First League.
While playing for MOIK OIK, which had been relegated from the top tier, he remained a key figure in the national team. Despite playing in the lower division, he continued to score and contribute to the squad.
The Torres Discovery
The first player to debut for the national team from the First League was Mahir Shukurov. In 2004, the Brazilian legend Carlos Alberto Torres, who became Azerbaijan’s first-ever foreign head coach, looked for new talent ahead of his debut match.
Torres selected Shukurov from Ganjlarbirliyi, a First League team, and gave him a chance in a match against Israel. That decision launched Shukurov’s long career with the national team.
The Soviet-Era Talent
One of the most historic cases of a lower-division player earning a national team call-up was Yuri Kuznetsov.
In 1955, while playing for Neftyanik (now Neftchi) in the Soviet First League, Kuznetsov received a call-up to the USSR national team. His talent was undeniable, and he was later signed by Moscow Dynamo, one of the top clubs in Soviet football.
Kuznetsov remains the first player in Soviet history to receive a national team call-up from a second-tier club.
A Rare but Significant Opportunity
Şahin Şahniyarov’s call-up by Fernando Santos is an exceptional event, breaking a 20-year trend in Azerbaijani football. Whether he follows in the footsteps of Taghizada, Shukurov, or Kuznetsov remains to be seen.
Vugar Xeyrullayev
Idman.biz
