The Wales football team has decided to stick to Greenwich Mean Time for the side's Euro 2004 qualifier match in Azerbaijan, with the players paying no attention Azeri local time.

Manager Mark Hughes and his backroom staff felt the shortness of the trip meant it was not worth putting their watches four hours ahead and adjusting training and meal times.

The Azeri jump fires as a New Year ritual

So, at the 1900 kick-off at Azerbaijan local time on Wednesday, the players will be thinking the time is actually 1500GMT.

With a 100 per cent record in their opening matches, Hughes will be hoping the quirky time tactic will pay off and see Wales gain a result in the former Soviet republic.

An estimated 160 Wales fans have travelled to the capital Baku to watch the team - but it is not known if any of them have loyally followed the time lag idea.

Welsh fans have raised more than �700 for Azeri orphanages and aim to raise more while they are in the country for United Aid for Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan - the facts:

Population: 7.5m Religion: Shi'ite Muslim Youth: 30% of population is under 14 Most famous export: World chess champion Gary Kasparov Traditions: New Year Novruz, fire jumping

The visiting supporters are also handing over football gear to help with a sports therapy project and providing toys for local children.

Azerbaijan is located between Russia and Iran and the country - which gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 - has strong European and Asian links.

The majority of Azerbaijan's 7.5m inhabitants live in the country's lowlands, working on agriculture and local industry.

Oil - which was discovered in the 19th century - is the country's staple income but there are plans to develop Baku as a future tourist destination.

The visiting Welsh contingent may tuck into the local delicacy of plov - a savoury dish of mutton, rice and prunes - or dograma, a cold soup blending potatoes and cucumber with sour milk or even shahlik, a lamb kebab flavoured with vinegar and pomegranate juice.

Wales are the first British side to visit the republic since League of Wales side Barry Town beat FC Shamkir in Baku a few years ago.

The country made its wealth from oil

The nation was first introduced to football by British oil workers a century ago, with fishing nets and trees used as goals.

While football is the national game, Azeris are also very fond of wrestling and chess and world chess champion Garry Kasparov was born in Baku.

The most famous figure in Azeri soccer was linesman Tofig Baramov. He was the official who allowed Geoff Hurst's controversial in-off-the-crossbar goal in the 1966 World Cup Final between England and West Germany.

The national stadium in Baku - the city of winds - is named after Baramov and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher met him to thank him for his "courage and fairness" at the World Cup.

Pundits of Azeri football will know the country's greatest player was Alakbar Mammadov, who played for Dinamo Moscow.

He rose to become one of the world's great strikers in the 1950s and during a tour of Italy Mammadov scored four goals against the mighty AC Milan.