CSKA challenge for Neftchi

By Erkin Ibragimov

With fellow Azerbaijani teams FK Shamkir and FK Karabakh having bowed out of the UEFA Cup, and with FK Khazar Universiteti having been knocked out of the UEFA Intertoto Cup, it has once more fallen to PFC Neftchi to represent the former Soviet Republic's hopes in European competition.

Local heroes
The greatest Azeri side of all, the Baku club have often found themselves in a similar position since their foundation in 1937. During the days of the Soviet Union, the club's presence was felt in the Supreme League, with the likes of Alekper Mamedov, Anatoli Banishevsky, Kazbek Tuaev also playing for the USSR.

Tuaev in charge
Appropriately enough, it is Tuaev who is now in charge of Neftchi as they face one of the giants of the old Soviet Union - PFC CSKA Moskva - in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League second qualifying round tie. At stake is a place in the third qualifying round against Scottish giants Rangers FC.

Azeri double
And having won the Azeri double last season, and secured a goalless draw in the home leg of their tie against CSKA, Tuaev's men - and the people of Azerbaijan - can go into the return leg in Moscow with high hopes, as they boast one of their finest teams of recent years.

Hope undiminished
"While we do not have either a giant budget nor a million stars in our squad, we are strong when it comes to our team spirit," said Tuaev. "My hopes for every squad member are high ahead of 4 August [the date of the return leg tie against CSKA]."

Departed talent
Tuaev was criticised for letting Samir Abbasov, Agil Mamedov and Vadim Vasilyev join Karabakh at the end of last season, but having overcome Bosnia-Herzegovina's NK Široki Brijeg in the first qualifying round, the coach's belief that team play rather than star players was paramount has been vindicated.

Good players
Not that Neftchi lack quality players. In 22-year-old sweeper Rashad F. Sadigov, 27-year-old defensive midfield player Emin Guliyev, 30-year-old playmaker Mahmud Gurbanov and 32-year-old star striker Gurban Gurbanov they have four of the most promising and capable players in their region.

Team performance
Nonetheless, despite the presence of some good players, it will take a special team performance in Moscow for Neftchi to progress. New signings Anatoliy Tebloyev and Davit Svanidze are yet to shine and the loss of any member of Tuaev's tiny squad to injury could prove extremely problematic.

'Great achievement'
Thus it is perhaps unsurprising that the coach has given little thought to the possibility of playing Rangers. "We are concentrating on our second match against CSKA," said Tuaev. "That will be our main game this season. Getting through two rounds of this competition would be a great achievement for us."

Reassuring precedent
And they know full well that CSKA are not unbeatable, after bowing out against F.Y.R. Macedonia's FK Vardar last season at the same stage of the competition. It is something that was playing on the mind of CSKA's Latvian international Jurijs Laizans.

CSKA disaster
"Last year we talked about playing Sparta [in the third qualifying round] but ended up being knocked out by [FK] Vardar," he said. How dearly Neftchi would love to silence the Russian juggernaut early for a second year in succession.