"Nail Karimov, the manager of Qarabag Football Academy, shared his thoughts on the U-15 World Championship and Festival, which will kick off tomorrow, as well as the Azerbaijan U-15 national team's squad.

In an interview with Offsideplus.az, he touched upon the selection of the squad:

"I know some of the players, and some I do not. Our team is represented by a squad of 14 players. I am aware that no more than that are allowed. There were several candidates from our club, but some could not make the squad due to injuries, while others were unable to participate because of illness. A few also faced difficulties in securing a place in the squad due to positional issues. Currently, two players from Qarabag are included in the final list."

Nail Karimov also spoke about the competition in the lower age groups and the composition of the teams:

"The reality of today's football is that teams from the Ulduz Academy are joining Sabah, Neftchi, and Qarabag in the lower age groups. Of course, several players from other clubs are also represented in various national teams. However, based on today's reality, the teams I mentioned are at the forefront. This is largely related to better player selection and the investments being made."

The expert evaluated the national team's chances at the U-15 World Championship and Festival:

"What do I expect from our national team? Honestly, it is very difficult to predict this. Why? Because the format is different; it is 8-a-side. The duration is 40 minutes. There are two matches in a day, and four matches will be played over two consecutive days. We do not know our opponents very well, so it is hard to make predictions. However, one thing I know is that I have no doubt we will have a tactically well-prepared team that will fight. Good work has been done. Although I have not followed the process very closely, I have been involved. I am familiar with the work being done and I know the effort put in by the Technical Department of AFFA. I have known the national team's head coach for many years. We have worked together with Famil Khalilov. I am well aware of how responsibly he approaches his work. I know that good work will be produced. However, it is indeed very difficult to predict what the results will be."