Former Poltava Vorskla striker Sergey Chuichenko shared his impressions of the 2026 World Cup qualifier between France and Ukraine (4:0), which took place on Thursday in Paris.
Sergey Chuichenko— First and foremost, what I would like to note is the unusual lineup of our team. In Paris, we saw the overwhelming majority of players who are less involved by Sergey Rebrov compared to others. It became clear that the coaching staff placed the main emphasis on the next game with Iceland, which is extremely important in the fight for a chance to secure a ticket to the world championship. Additionally, we can say that a second «hare» was caught — there was an opportunity to observe players in the immediate reserve in action. And not just observe, but I would say, under extreme conditions — against two-time world and European champions, and on their turf.
— And how did you find the game performed by the Ukrainian national team?
— Already within the first ten to fifteen minutes of the match, it became clear that our team chose a purely defensive tactic. Well, considering the strategy of the last two qualifying matches, perhaps this is the right move. If we had managed to maintain a draw on such a field, it would have been excellent; if not, well, what can be done.
But everything was decided in the second half, where the lack of experience of debutant Mykhavko led to an obvious penalty, from which the French took the lead. Our team tried to break from defense into attack at every opportunity, but the effect of these attempts was nil.
The substitutions made in the middle of the second half and in its last quarter didn’t help either. The introduction of «fresh» Shaparenko, Vanat, Zubkov, Tsyhankov, and Voloshin didn’t fundamentally change the play of the «blue-yellows.» On the other hand, the substitutions made by Didier Deschamps were productive and further intensified the game. In the final part of the match, this allowed the hosts to score three more goals on a roll.
Everything is logical: nowadays, competing with the French national team is difficult. And not only for the experimental lineup of our national team, but for any team in the world.
— If we abstract from the result, who from our players would you highlight in this match?
— There are two — Trubin and Yarmolyuk. If it weren’t for our goalkeeper, the score could have been twice as high. As for Yarmolyuk, he impressed with brave and confident play. However, two of his actions in the second half (and I mean the reason for receiving a yellow card and the mistake that led to one of the goals) somewhat spoiled the impression. Nevertheless, his game is encouraging.
— Will the responsibility exert psychological pressure on the Ukrainian national team players in the match with Iceland?
— Every player of our national team is a professional with enough matches of increased importance in their career. Therefore, I don’t think the guys will worry too much or «burn out.» Moreover, the game with Iceland will take place in Poland, where the team will have passionate support. I hope our players will tune into the game with the Icelanders properly and deliver a good result that will please all of Ukraine.
Andrey Pisarenko
