Azerbaijan nurtures World Cup dream

BAKU: Azerbaijan, better known for hosting glitzy Formula One races than for its football talent, have startled experts by moving to within reach of a first ever World Cup appearance.

The energy-rich Caucasus country has poured massive resources into hosting largescale sporting events in a bid to burnish its image.

It attributes its football team’s recent accomplishments to its investment in grassroots player development.

Azerbaijan currently sit third in their Group C qualifying table with seven points in four matches, trailing Germany and Northern Ireland.

To have a chance of qualifying for the World Cup in Russia next year, they must at least finish second which should allow a place in the play-offs.

Azerbaijan, coached by former Barcelona and Real Madrid star Robert Prosinecki since 2014, face unbeaten Germany team in their latest World Cup qualifier on Sunday in Baku.

“Azerbaijan has caught the attention of all of Europe” with its performance, the head of Azerbaijan’s football federation, Elkhan Mammadov, told AFP.

“This is the result of work aimed at the development of football in the country, the logical result of the projects implemented.”

Although Azerbaijan’s economy has contracted because of low energy prices, Baku has pumped millions of dollars into a decadelong football programme and even more into hosting sporting events in a bid to capture international attention.

President Ilham Aliyev, like many leaders of ex-Soviet states, has banked on the promotion of sport and the hosting of major sporting events such as the 2015 European Games to boost the country’s international status even as the international community criticises its rampant rights violations and repression.

“Experience has shown that the sporting events hosted by Azerbaijan play a big role in popularising tourism and the history and the culture of the country and its people,” Azerbaijan’s sports minister Azad Rahimov, told AFP.

Azerbaijan, currently 89th in FIFA rankings, have never qualified for a World Cup.

Their fourth place finish in European group qualifying for the 2014 World Cup has been their best result.

The domestic league has tried to stimulate youth development by mandating that their eight teams have at least one player 21 or younger on the pitch at all times.

But for local football commentator Amal Abushov, the senior national team’s success has been a fluke.

“Azerbaijan’s 4-0 loss to Northern Ireland (in November) is representative of the national team’s level,” Abushov told AFP.

“What kind of success can we talk about if the team’s record so far is the 9 points it earned in an attempt to qualify for the 2014 World Cup?” he added, referring to Azerbaijan’s six losses in ten matches and eventual failure to qualify for the tournament.

Abushov added that the country’s youth squads could benefit from money that he said is being misspent on “expensive foreign managers” such as Prosinecki.

Azerbaijan meanwhile is gearing up to host three group matches and a quarter-final of Euro 2020 at Baku’s 68,870-seat National Stadium.

Baku is also competing with Madrid to host the 2019 Champions League final, a match authorities see as a rehearsal for 2020.

“This could be a test for Euro 2020,” Mammadov said. “We will try to use this opportunity.”

Azerbaijan built state-of-theart sports facilities to host the 2015 European Games, including the National Stadium, in one of many times the country has attempted to put itself on the map with high-level events.

The country also remains determined to host the Olympic Games despite two failed bids.

“The fact that there are only two candidates to host the Champions League final raises our chances to 50-50,” Mammadov said.

“Our advantage is that our stadium is new and meets all the FIFA and UEFA standards.”