AZERBAIJAN: NATIONAL Under-15 Football Team head coach Mohamed Ally is confident his youngsters will be ready for tomorrow’s opening Group X clash against Zambia at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The young Taifa Stars touched down in the Azerbaijani capital on Wednesday after a 10- hour journey from Dar es Salaam via Turkey, with Ally prioritising recovery to ensure his players are in good shape for their opening assignment.

Despite the demanding trip, the coach believes sufficient rest and carefully managed training sessions will help the squad regain its energy and reach the required physical condition before facing their regional rivals.

“We arrived in Azerbaijan a bit tired. The journey took us long, it was 10 hours. From Dar to Turkey was seven hours, and then we connected from Turkey to Azerbaijan for another three hours,” Ally said.

“The condition of the players is a bit tired due to that journey, but I think if they get a good rest and recovery, things will be good.”

With Saturday’s encounter approaching, the technical bench is combining recovery with light training to help the youngsters adapt to the local conditions without placing unnecessary physical demands on them.

Ally said the team would use the available sessions to get the players’ bodies right while making the final preparations for the opening match.

“Today we will enter training, and tomorrow we will enter training a little bit to do recovery and get our bodies right for our first match,” he added.

The coach was also encouraged by the reception and organisation in Baku, saying the arrangements had provided a positive environment for the team to settle in and focus on the task ahead.