Oleksandr Kosenko: We are determined to go as far as possible and not allow Kazakhstan to do so

31.01.2022 11:11

Photo by uefa.com

The head coach of the Ukrainian national futsal team Oleksandr Kosenko shared his expectations from the match against Kazakhstan at Euro-2022.

In the group round of the European Championship blue-yellows lost to Netherlands (2:3), defeated Serbia (6:1) and lost to Portugal0:1), but took second place in the quartet and made it to the playoffs. In the quarterfinals, which takes place in Amsterdam today, January 31, Ukraine are are waiting for the match with Kazakhstan (kick-off - at 21.00 Kyiv time).

On the eve of the match, the head coach of our team Oleksandr Kosenko shared his thoughts, the words of which are quoted by the press service Futsal Association of Ukraine press service.

— How would you describe your closest rival?

— The playoffs of the European Championship are underway. We no longer need to form a tournament strategy, we have to go out and win. We are setting up for the game with Kazakhstan. They are strong opponents with good performers who stand out both for their individual qualities and team play. We are waiting for a difficult match. It can't be otherwise at the stage of the quarterfinals.

— What is the situation with the squad before the match with Kazakhstan?

— Artem Farenyuk will definitely not play in this match. Mykhailo Zvarych has not yet completely recovered from his injury, but we hope to be able to count on him.

— The team reaches the quarterfinals for the sixth time in a row and has repeatedly finished the fight at this stage under your leadership. Is the team ready to reach the semifinals from a psychological point of view, as it seemed that in the last two draws the guys were afraid of this stage?

— I can say that the national team of Ukraine keeps its level and advances the group. Of course, I would like more. We were not afraid of anything in the previous draws. This is futsal. At Euro 2018, we lost to the Spaniards by one goal, and before that we were defeated by the hosts 0,3 seconds before the end of the match. There was a tense challenge, but we lost in it. Opponents also wanted to reach the semifinals. Now we are determined to go as far as possible and not allow Kazakhstan to do so, which will also strive for this. Everything will be decided by the game and the final result, which we will see on the board.

— Tainan, Edson and Valiullin will be absent from Kazakhstan in the match against Ukraine. In your opinion, will this greatly weaken the opponent?

— We also had and still have losses within the squad. In our case, it united the team and added fighting qualities. How such losses will affect Kazakhstan, I will not judge. We should not think about it at all, because when you think that the opponent is weaker and you are stronger, you don't win. If we play the same way as in the last two matches, we will have a chance to reach the semifinals. The absence of Tainan, Edson and Valiullin may strategically change the style of play of Kazakhstan. It can also unite Kazakhs. This team has enough qualified performers. In recent years, Kazakhstani futsal players have managed to add. We will seriously prepare for this match.

— How will you prepare for the confrontation with Igita in attack and defense?

— I think all the teams have already fully studied Igita's game. He was and remains a strong goalkeeper. Recent matches show that he can make mistakes, but still scores and gives effective passes. If the player does it well, then he regularly succeeds. We will do everything possible to protect our goal from these attacks.