The Azerbaijan team arrived in Trinidad on Tuesday for this weekend's double friendly internationals against the National Senior team.
Like T&T the Azerbaijan side is preparing for upcoming World Cup qualifying matches. They face the "Soca Warriors" at 6pm on Friday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium and then at 3:30pm at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.
Head coach Carlos Alberto Torres, captain of the winning Brazil side at the 1970 World Cup, said his team was looking forward to the two matches with great interest.
"We are here for two important games against Trinidad and Tobago. We are preparing for our World Cup games and we have come here on serious business and we do hope that the two games will be well played," Torres said on Tuesday at a media brifing at the Queen's Park Oval.
When questioned by TV-6 news as to whether he would like to coach a team like T&T again, Torres said "Sure, why not? Actually some time ago there was talk about the possibility of me coming to Trinidad and Tobago. But not right now because I have a job and you have a coach that has already taken the team to the final round of the World Cup competition. I wish to see Trinidad in the next World Cup."
He also commented on T&T's attempt to get Brazilian-born midfielder Jose Luis Seabra to play for this countrys' team.
"I don't know the player but he is here playing and the Federation is trying to get him to play for the country, then he must be a good player. The Azerbaijan team has only local players at the moment but we are looking forward to have some foreign players in the future. I think every good payer deserves to play. If he has that chance now, then why not give him that chance."
Seabra is in the T&T training squad. He now has T&T residency and may just be given a run out by St Clair on Friday as he awaits feedback on his request for citizenship which would then make him eligible for World Cup action. The Azerbaijan team trains at 4pm at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Wednesday.
Azerbaijan Squad:
Goalkeepers:
Rauf Mehdiyev (Garabagh), Mikayil Yusifov (MOIK).
Defenders:
Rafail Amirbeyov and Rail Melikov (Baki), Samir Abbasov (Garabagh), Aftandil Hajiyev (Turan), Mahir Shukurov (Karvan), Ilgar Abdulrahmanov (Khazar-Lankaran).
Midfielders:
Aslan Karimov, Ismayil Mammadov and Agil Mammadov (Garabagh), Rashad Abdullayev (Khazar-Lankaran), Vasif Hagverdiyev (MKT-Araz).
Forwards:
Nadir Nabiyev (Turan), Vugar Nadirov (Garabagh), Daniel Akhyanov (Inter).
Last four World Cup games played by Azerbaijan:
13-Oct-2004 (Azerbaijan) Azerbaijan 0 v 1 England.
09-Oct-2004 (Azerbaijan) Azerbaijan 0 v 0 Northern Ireland.
08-Sep-2004 (Austria) Austria 2 v 0 Azerbaijan.
04-Sep-2004 (Azerbaijan) Azerbaijan 1 v 1 Wales.
Up-coming World Cup Games for Azerbaijan:
26-Mar-2005 (Poland) Poland v Azerbaijan.
30-Mar-2005 (England) England v Azerbaijan.
04-Jun-2005 (Azerbaijan) Azerbaijan v Poland.
03-Sep-2005 (Northern Ireland) Northern Ireland v Azerbaijan.