Former defender Oleksandr Kucher explained how the Ukrainian national team can defeat Iceland in the decisive qualifying match for World Cup 2026.
Oleksandr Kucher (photo: chornomorets.ua/)— Oleksandr, you said that we shouldn’t just give first place to France, but we did. What are your expectations for the match against Iceland now?
— Of course, everything is in our hands now. But now we have to win. The Icelandic team looks very good right now. They can close down and play defensively. We need to score and move forward. The main thing is not to fall into a counterattack. We don’t want that.
— Has our national team forgotten the defeat against France, do you think?
— Yes, we need to forget this defeat because there’s a game that everything depends on. Only after it will we understand where we’re headed.
— The leaders rested against France. Will it be an easy game for us? Will we «roll over» Iceland?
— No, you can’t say that. Of course, we want to «roll over» them. But it will be a tough game. We know that Icelanders can defend and attack. They caused us problems in the first match. The result was in our favor then, but their team looked very good. They also played well against the French. So there won’t be an easy ride, that’s for sure. Everyone understands the significance of this match. Icelanders too — this is their chance to qualify for the World Cup, and they will give it their all.
— What do we need to beat them then?
— We want our leaders to play well — a lot will depend on them. And, of course, we need an early goal. The ticket to the World Cup, the play-offs — everything depends on one match. We have to go all-in. It’s a very important game for us and the whole country.
— Sudakov is out due to injury and won’t play against Iceland. How significant is this loss for the national team?
— Of course, every player is important. It was said that we didn’t field the leaders against France... But we cannot divide the national team into line-ups. There is the Ukrainian national team, and every player must meet the demands on the field. There is no first or second line-up — there is a team that must achieve results in every game.
— What’s your opinion on the rule that if points are equal, the goal difference decides everything? Is it fair?
— The rules are the same for everyone. They were announced not during the tournament but at the start. Everyone plays under the same conditions. Of course, we would like personal meetings to decide. But the rule is in place, it is applied, and we must accept what we have.
— Are you expecting any changes in the national team if we don’t beat Iceland?
— It’s not up to me. There’s the president of the association who set the tasks and goals. I don’t know what agreements are there. So it will all depend on him.
— And what’s your prediction?
— Of course, a victory for Ukraine. Somewhere around 3:1. I think so. I hope for that.
Andriy Pavlechko
