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Konate: We had difficult moments in the match against Azerbaijan in France

15 November 2025 19:37 (UTC +04:00)

"As part of the qualification round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, our national team will face France in Baku," the French defender Ibrahima Konaté addressed journalists' questions at a press conference ahead of the match, APA reports.

- Will you be the captain tomorrow? What will you say to the team?

- I don’t know if I will be the captain or not. You should ask the head coach about that. The game could be tough, but the most important thing is that we enjoy it. We’re here to represent France. Our goal is to take points from the opponent.

- Will the second-choice goalkeeper play in goal for the national team against Azerbaijan?

- This isn’t up to me. The head coach knows best. He’s a quality goalkeeper. I hope he will play in goal tomorrow and represent the French national team for the first time.

- You had difficulty against Azerbaijan in the match in Paris...

- Yes, we were positively surprised by the Azerbaijani team in Paris. No matter what the result is, we will play the match. Even if the score is bad tomorrow, you should not focus on the result. You should enjoy the game. We have a responsibility in front of the French people.

- Most of the players in the Azerbaijan national team represent "Qarabag." The Azerbaijani club will play Liverpool in the Champions League. Were you surprised by Qarabag's successful performance?

- Baku is a beautiful city. To be honest, we had difficult moments in the match against Azerbaijan in France. We have to accept that. We’re not focusing on future matches; we’re living in the moment. Even if Azerbaijan lost 0-3, they showed positive qualities. I’m sure they will show the same tomorrow. We, too, will try to earn points as a national team.