News On Japan

Bahlul MUSTAFAZADE: It will be better if Karabakh plays with Molde to win

Nov 15, 2023 (newsonjapan.com) - Defender of Agdam “Qarabag” and the Azerbaijani national football team Bahlul Mustafazadeh answered questions from an azerisport.com correspondent.

How would you comment on the victory over Sabail (3:1) in the match of the 13th round of the Premier League?

The match, as we expected, started hard. Sabail is a good team. The points they scored speak volumes about this. We are glad that we were able to win. The opponents carried out quite dangerous attacks in the first half. Despite this, we scored two goals and finished the first half of the game without conceding a goal. After the break we scored again and eventually took our three points.You can bet on the football champion on the website mostbet-uz-mostbet.com, the main betting site in Uzbekistan

It’s interesting that approximately the same lineup that played against the German Bayer came out for the game with Sabail. Was this done to avoid losing points in this match?

I cannot give an exact answer to this question. The head coach of the team releases any player he considers necessary. With us, everyone who takes the field gives their best.

At the match with Bayer, the stands of the stadium were full; at the game with Sabail, the opposite picture was observed. Does this affect football players?

Certainly. A large number of fans in the stands motivates us well, we enjoy the game. Unfortunately, very few fans come to the championship matches, especially those taking place at the Tofik Bahramov stadium. I would like to play in the Premier League with full stands.

13 rounds of the championship are behind us, and Qarabag is not in the lead. Does this indicate greater competition this season?

Yes, each team can take points from the other. For example, we lost to Araz-Nakhchivan and defeated Kapaz. And then “Kapaz” defeated “Araz-Nakhchivan”. The level of Premier League clubs has increased.

How would you rate your chances of qualifying from the Europa League group? Norwegian Molde has the same number of points as Qarabag - 6.

All in our hands. I think it will be better if we play with Molde to win. The fact is that in the past it happened that we were satisfied with a draw in this or that match, and this negatively affected us. Therefore, we will focus exclusively on winning the meetings with Molde and the Swedish Häcken.

The Azerbaijani national team will have matches with the teams of Sweden and Belgium as part of the qualification for EURO 2024. What can we expect from these games?

Both teams are difficult opponents. But despite this, we will not give up. We will try to score maximum points in these matches.

There are a lot of football players in the Milli who play abroad. However, the team does not see any progress in terms of results. What do you think is the problem?

It's difficult for me to answer this question. I'm not a football official. My job is to play football. On the other hand, I think it would be better if more of our players played in higher level championships. Don't know. But I admit that the situation is sad, and we must improve it.

When will we see you as a foreign player?

Hard to say. There must be a proposal. If it doesn’t exist, then it’s wrong to talk about it. But, of course, I consider myself ready for the life of a legionnaire. There will be no problems with language or living abroad. It just all depends on the offer. Honestly, I think it’s wrong to go somewhere just to be listed as a legionnaire. It makes more sense to accept an offer from a strong league.

Your father is the head coach of the Kur-Araz club. You can often be seen at the matches of this team. What can you say about her?

Yes, I follow the game of this team. In general, the idea to create the 2nd League was successful. The games turn out to be quite interesting. I enjoy watching them. It feels like all teams are gradually developing in terms of both tactics and technology. As for the prospects of Kur-Araz, financial conditions are very important. Frankly speaking, I know that the team is not very good. In one game, unfortunately, they were awarded a forfeit. Despite all this, the team makes a good impression and is improving.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

As of 6 a.m. on November 5, strong Typhoon No. 31 (In-fa) was moving north over waters approximately 370 kilometers west of Chichijima in the Ogasawara Islands, with powerful waves expected to affect coastal areas across eastern and northern Japan even as the storm turns northeast and moves away from the country.

Japanese calligraphy is set to be added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list after an evaluation body recommended its registration on November 5th, paving the way for the traditional art form to become Japan's 24th entry and its first since traditional sake brewing was recognized in 2024.

Japan's government is facing growing pressure from opposition lawmakers to clarify who will qualify for a new financial support program and how much they will receive, as deliberations on legislation to reduce the consumption tax on food and introduce payments for low- and middle-income earners enter their final stages in the House of Representatives.

A smartphone caught fire at Narita Airport's Terminal 1 shortly after 7:30 a.m. on November 4th, prompting the dispatch of 10 fire trucks and other emergency vehicles before the blaze was extinguished about 30 minutes later, with no injuries reported.

A memorial service was held at a cemetery in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward on the morning of November 4 to honor police and security dogs that served in criminal investigations, disaster rescue operations, and other police duties, with 11 dogs newly laid to rest since late September 2025.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Sports NEWS

Yusaku Hosono, a 23-year-old professional golfer who underwent heart surgery as an infant and was forced to abandon his childhood dream of playing baseball, has emerged as one of Japan's brightest golfing talents after winning two domestic major championships this season, becoming the first left-handed player in 35 years to claim a men's tour victory.

A controversial penalty shootout decision during the Tokyo qualifiers for Japan's National High School Soccer Championship on October 24 has sparked debate after a team that believed it had secured victory was forced to continue playing and eventually lost, raising questions about whether a hole in the goal net contributed to an incorrect ruling.

Pillow fighting, once a familiar pastime on Japanese school trips, has evolved into a competitive team sport, with players dressed in traditional yukata competing on tatami mats under unusual rules that include a call of "The teacher is coming!" to freeze opponents for 10 seconds.

Fukuoka-born sumo wrestler Arashifuji has earned his first promotion to the top makuuchi division ahead of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament, which opens on November 8 at the Fukuoka International Center, according to the latest rankings released by the Japan Sumo Association on October 26.

Three national anthem mix-ups occurred on the same day at the ongoing Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games, with Iran's anthem mistakenly played during medal ceremonies for Chinese Taipei and Mongolia, while South Korea's anthem was played instead of China's before a women's sitting volleyball match.

Japan's sporting weekend was dominated by the completion of professional baseball's postseason, with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars securing a remarkable sweep of the Central League champions Hanshin Tigers and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks advancing from the Pacific League.

Japanese basketball continues to improve year after year. Strong financial backing and steadily growing fan interest have turned the B.League into one of Asia’s most exciting competitions.

Japan's women's national soccer team, Nadeshiko Japan, suffered a 2-1 comeback defeat to Germany in an international friendly in Bremen on October 13, despite taking an early lead through Momoko Tanikawa.