This is our final match in the qualifiers, so we want to show a good performance for our fans. Even if France plays with their second lineup tomorrow, they will still aim to win points.

Axar.az reports that Azerbaijani national team head coach Ayxan Abbasov said this at a press conference ahead of their 2026 World Cup qualifying match against France in Baku.

He noted that playing against a strong team like France is valuable experience:

“The opponent has not brought some key players to Baku. The players who will step onto the field will try to prove themselves. We also have some absences. It is difficult to play offensively against the French team until the very end, but we have no intention of sitting entirely on defense.”

The coach expressed confidence in the young players called up to the national team:

“We gain by letting them play in matches like this. The injury to our left-sided defenders has made our task harder. There will be some changes tomorrow.”

The Azerbaijan–France match will kick off at 21:00 on November 16 at Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium.