Renowned domestic coach Myron Markevych believes that the Ukrainian national team deservedly reached the playoffs of the 2026 World Cup qualifying tournament.
Myron Markevych (photo: fckarpaty.org.ua)— Myron Bohdanovych, you can’t fault our team’s attitude against Iceland. Do you agree?
— Absolutely. This level of performance from the Ukrainian national team is something we’d like to see consistently. Throughout the game, it felt that Serhiy Rebrov’s players were destined to win.
— Why can’t we play like this in every match?
— It’s a complex question (smiles). It probably depends on many factors. One thing is certain: with such a performance, regardless of the result, criticism of the national team would be minimal, if any. The players themselves must understand that this is the highest level, and when donning the national jersey, such dedication must always be present. Fortunately, it worked out well yesterday. The win was very much needed for our country.
— The first half by the «blue-and-yellows» was excellent, yet there were no shots on target. Did that concern you?
— I was only anxious that the team might stall. Thank God, that didn’t happen. They pressed the opponent. It’s very rare, not just for our team, to maintain such enthusiasm and not achieve maximum results.
— Until the first goal, which came in the 83rd minute, didn’t it seem like we were stuck against Iceland’s defense?
— No. The opponent started playing for a draw very early. It was evident that the defense would eventually falter. You could say they somewhat helped the Ukrainians. Moreover, the substitutions made by Serhiy Rebrov were beneficial.
— Did we outrun the opponent due to our freshness?
— To some extent, yes. Our starting lineup featured eight new players. It was a strategic victory by Serhiy Rebrov over his counterpart. The point is, the Icelanders couldn’t afford to sacrifice the match against Azerbaijan. They needed only a win, so they put their best efforts into both matches, which ultimately was their downfall.
— Name your top three Ukrainian national team players from the last match?
— Anatoliy Trubin, as his save at 0:0 was one of the match’s pivotal moments. Oleksandr Zubkov posed many threats to the opponent’s goal, scored the winning goal, and Viktor Tsyhankov was always on the move, one of his shots was deflected by the crossbar (laughs), the goalkeeper handled another shot, and he was a co-author of the winning goal.
— The playoffs are ahead…
— It’s important we finished the qualifying round on a high note. Ukrainians can rejoice for their national team. But an even tougher task lies ahead, we need to take two more steps towards the dream. So, we live in hope.
Serhii Boichenko
