Before the match with Bahrain. The national team of Ukraine against rivals from Asia: a historical perspective

23.05.2021 13:00

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

Today, May 23, the national team of Ukraine in Kharkiv at USC "Metalist" will hold a friendly match with the team of Bahrain, which will be the seventh rival of the blue-yellows from Asia (beginning - at 21.00).

Prior to that, we met with other AFC representatives: UAE (1994), South Korea (1994, twice), Japan (2002, 2005, 2018), Iran (2002), Saudi Arabia (2006, 2018) and Uzbekistan (2007, 2011). .

At first, Asians were not very kind to Ukraine. We had to wait for the first victory until 2005, when in a friendly match Japan lost in Kiev - 0: 1. The guests, who played in the minority from the 54th minute, missed the goal in the 89th minute (Andriy Husin scored from the 11-meter mark).

Prior to that, the best result was a draw in August 1994 in sparring with the United Arab Emirates (1: 1). This was followed by two defeats by the Koreans in the same year, then defeats by the Japanese and Iranians in 2002.

But since October 2005 and Gusin's winning goal, everything has turned 180 degrees. World Cup in Germany - defeat of Saudi Arabia (4: 0). The following year - a victory in sparring with Uzbekistan (2: 1), and in 2011 - a repeat (2: 0).

Only on March 23, 2018, the Asians managed not to lose to Ukraine (Saudi Arabia - 1: 1), but in five days we again put Japan on the shoulders - 2: 1.

All rivals of the national team of Ukraine with ROS