Former Dynamo midfielder and well-known Ukrainian coach Volodymyr Sharan shared his expectations for the decisive matches of the Ukrainian team in the qualifying cycle for the 2026 World Cup.
Volodymyr Sharan— As always, we expect a good game from our team. Against opponents like France, there’s no need to motivate further. Everyone understands that this will be a match against the strongest team in our qualifying group. Of course, we hope for a positive result because anything is possible in football. But most importantly, we want to see the true Ukrainian spirit on the football field. I’m not just talking about the result, but about the game itself.
We would like to see aggressive and attacking football from the Ukrainian national team with scoring opportunities. Not to completely close off and play just for the result to earn one point. However, I still believe that the main game for our national team will be against Iceland, and we understand that well. So, whatever happens, the Ukrainian team needs to show its character.
— In another qualifying group match, Azerbaijan will host another of our competitors — Iceland. Many hope for indirect help from the Azerbaijani national team...
— I think Iceland should take their points. Although I understand it’s also difficult to play in Baku. But the Icelanders must outplay Azerbaijan. Still, we will wait for the decisive match Iceland — Ukraine. In that match, I believe, everything should be finally settled.
— How do you think the speedy and powerful Kylian Mbappé can be contained in the Paris match?
— For this, we need to play deep in defense. At the same time, we must act compactly to avoid giving away free zones. But when we attack and Mbappé finds himself behind our defenders, it will be very difficult to hold him back. Because his speed is phenomenal compared to Ukrainian players.
I recall the first match of this qualifying round Ukraine — France, one of the moments of which will probably remain in Zabarnyi’s memory for a lifetime. I mean the episode preceding the goal when Mbappé was one-on-one and showed his class. Against such a striker, you definitely can’t play one-on-one — backup is needed. And in open space, as I mentioned, it’s extremely difficult to contain Mbappé.
Andriy Pysharenko
