Player Analysis: Mahir Emreli

The octagon, the ring, the mat, whatever dimension or set up, martial arts grounds are often the sanctum for Azerbaijan's finest athletes and civilians alike. Though perhaps not as prevalent as football's whistle, the ringing of the bell in boxing or the sijak of taekwondo have commenced almost all of Azerbaijan's international sporting acclaim.

Admittedly, the land of fire may lack footballing clout personnel and team-wise; regardless, the Olympic pedigree of Radik Isayev and Toghrul Asgarov, amongst others, provide the Caucasus nation with sporting clout that some of their neighbours could only dream of. With a relatively blank slate, current and future generations of Azeri footballers have a proverbial empty frame with the pure white canvas staring at them, yearning to be adorned with the colours of success.

The current cast of Azerbaijan's elite footballers is a mixed bag; however, a burgeoning group of youngsters may offer a way out of the footballing labyrinth they find themselves in. Anton Krivotsyuk, Omer Budulov, Raghim Sadygov, and Renat Dadashov all have a part to play in the trek up the world rankings and the blissful idea of tournament football. However, despite a healthy supporting class, a single figurehead for all to rally around, a star, is needed.

Though maybe not a star by most nations' standards, Azerbaijan is and will continue to be forced to look to the mercurial talents of Qarabag star forward Mahir Emreli. Despite his talent, Emreli is somewhat of a pariah in national team circles, as his hot-headed nature has complicated matches on multiple occasions. The youthful forward needs patience from his compatriots, and hopefully, then, we may see his club form transfer to when he wears the blue of the national team.