On Wednesday, September 17, in the round of 16 of the Ukrainian Cup, Kyiv’s «Dynamo» defeated «Alexandria» with a score of 2:1 and advanced to the quarter-finals of the tournament. The match took place in Alexandria at the «Nika» stadium. We present to you the post-match press conference of the head coach of the capital team, Alexander Shovkovsky.
— I congratulate the fans of «Dynamo» on the victory and moving on to the next round of the Ukrainian Cup.
We planned to give the players who recently joined us, as well as those who have played less lately, a chance to play today. Some things worked out for them, some did not; we will definitely analyze this in theory and prepare for the next game, again against «Alexandria», but already in the Ukrainian championship.
— How is Kabayev feeling?
— He has a very painful, unpleasant cut. Thank God, it’s not deep. We hope he will be ready for the next game. But I know from experience that it’s a very unpleasant situation, a very unpleasant injury.
Alexander Shovkovsky. Photo — A. Popov— Did you hope that Shola Ogunandan would deliver a result in his very first match for «Dynamo»?
— I always hope that the players who go on the field will deliver results, score goals, and do everything to secure a victory for the team.
I am more satisfied with some of today’s debutants than others. Of course, there were mistakes, but that’s inevitable.
The first match for a new team always comes with a certain nervousness. But the most important thing is that we accomplished our task and advanced to the next round of the Ukrainian Cup.
— How did you find the performance of «Alexandria» overall, and how do you evaluate your coaching duel with the head coach of the opposing team, Kirill Nesterenko?
— It is not my place to evaluate the performance of opponents. Each team has its own identity, its own developments, and moments on which they build their game. Every coach prepares for the match and prepares their team considering all possible factors.
In principle, I did not see anything new. Except for what I had already seen while preparing for this match. Although, of course, every game is not like the others. And there are no identical moments. They can be similar in details, but they are not identical.
Once again, I congratulate the fans of «Dynamo» on this victory. I also want to congratulate our rescuers, who have their professional holiday today. These brave men and women risk their lives to help save people and do everything possible for us to feel more at ease.
I also want to mention that today, unfortunately, is the anniversary of the death of Andrey Husin. We remember him. Unfortunately, it has already been the 12th year since he left us. But he is part of our Dynamo family, and we will always remember him.
The post-match press conference of the head coach of «Alexandria» Kirill Nesterenko.
Alexander POPOV from Alexandria
