SHARE

Sweden beat Azerbaijan 3-1 on Thursday evening as the country’s national team builds optimism whilst it goes through a period of change under manager Jon Dahl Tomasson.

They’ve underachieved in recent years and now there’s a handful of youngsters coming through who can add to very talented more senior players, and things should really be looking better than they have for a while.

After the match, there was of course happiness when players spoke to the media, but a few, including Brighton’s Yasin Ayari, also had something negative on their minds. 

Ayari joined Brighton in January 2023 and has since had loans to Coventry City and Blackburn Rovers. The 20-year-old is staying with the Seagulls for the current campaign and has made four appearances this season, playing the majority of the match against Arsenal.

The youngster played 72 minutes for Sweden last night and now he’s facing an initiation ceremony with the country. He’s one of a few facing the same, and it doesn’t sound like any of them are looking forward to it.

Quoted by Aftonbladet, the Brighton player said: “I will do it now, either after dinner or at home in Sweden. I haven’t thought about it. I’ve been too nervous. That was the only thing I could think of. It’s worse than playing. I hate stuff like that. Apparently I’m going to sing something.”

Viktor Gyokeres was asked why, given some players are ‘obviously tormented’ by the whole thing, it continues, and all he had to offer was: “Sometimes someone comes up who shocks. It can be quite funny sometimes.”