The author of the first goal in the history of the Ukrainian national team, Ivan Hetsko, shared his expectations for the qualifying match of the 2026 World Cup, France vs Ukraine, which will take place today in Paris.
— Ivan Mikhailovich, you predicted a 1:1 draw...
— I said that so no one thinks we have to do something extraordinary. After all, France is France — everyone understands that. Even Deschamps says it will be a historic match with great significance. In the case of a victory, France will get a direct ticket to the World Cup. But if Ukraine pulls a surprise — things could turn out very differently.
I just wanted us to realistically assess the level of the French and our national team.
I’d do it like this: give a little rest to the key players who will determine the outcome of the match against Iceland. Because if we give France a real fight and prove we’re no worse — it’s risky. A clear head and the right decision are needed here. I think Sergei Rebrov’s coaching staff understands the importance of this game and will act wisely.
— Is it really possible for Ukraine to beat France?
— Why not? We’ve already beaten France before. This team can also lose points. There could be an underestimation of the opponent. But is it worth the risk? I have mixed feelings about this. We need to analyze everything, weigh it and make the right decision. That’s what our coaching staff is for.
— What could be suicidal for the Ukrainian team?
— The worst that can happen is if we want to beat France at any cost, but can’t. In this case, there will be enormous costs of effort, as the players will give their all. That risks injuries, cards, and everything possible. In my opinion, we need to act wisely.
On the other hand, we all want to see Ukraine in the World Cup — no doubt. But the path to this already lies on the responsibility of the team’s leadership.
— If the team consciously saves energy and doesn’t play with the optimal lineup, resulting in a blowout loss — will that cause criticism?
— No, I don’t think so. Everyone understands that the main game will be against Iceland. That’s the one we need to win. And we should give France a blank slate to calm them down.
— Do you think Zabarniy’s performance can be affected by his current criticism in France?
— It could happen. We know Zabarniy has had some bad luck recently. All those incidents — the sending-off, the penalties awarded (in the “Bayer” vs PSG Champions League match, Zabarniy “brought” two penalties and received a red card as early as the 37th minute of the match, — ed.) — everything seems to pile up. It looks like he’s just hit a streak of bad luck. But before PSG bought him, everything was carefully analyzed and checked. What’s happening now is just misfortune. Yes, possibly, it knocked him off balance a bit, but he’s a high-level player, and it shouldn’t affect his game against the French.
— Who, in your opinion, deserves to play on the right flank more — Tsygankov or Gutsulyak?
— I would like Tsygankov to return to his previous level, as he hasn’t had match practice for a while due to injury. But Gutsulyak, I believe, is in slightly better form right now. I would prefer him. Though we know these are two full-fledged players who can replace each other at any time and play at a very high level.
— Dovbyk is also injured. Who, in your opinion, should play against the French in attack?
— We don’t have much going well with the forwards. It seemed Dovbyk was getting in shape, and then an injury happened. The coach will decide who replaces him. We don’t know the training process, the rhythm each player is in. I think Yaremchuk could play against France, and against Iceland — Vanat. But it all depends on the game model the coach chooses for the match with the French.
Andriy Pavlechko