The Ukrainian national team arrived in the Welsh capital Cardiff yesterday and held their first training session on Welsh soil as part of their preparation for the 2022 World Cup playoff final.

The practice took place at the home stadium of the local club "Cardiff City". The players were divided into two groups. Eleven performers who started the match on Wednesday worked on a recovery program, while the rest of the team members had a full training session with relays, passing, ball control, and game series.

Yesterday, defender Oleksandr Karavaev of Kyiv's "Dynamo" celebrated his 30th birthday. The entire team, led by head coach Oleksandr Petrakov, congratulated him on the occasion. The birthday boy shared his impressions from the game against Scotland, the return flight, and his birthday.

"We flew to Wales very well, it didn't take much time. Here we have all the conditions for accommodation and recovery. Everything is at a high level, so our mood is positive. I feel good, I feel young. I'm 30 years old but still full of energy and strength, wanting to play and train. Right now, we have all the opportunities for this, thanks to our Armed Forces who defend Ukraine's statehood, independence, and honor. They fight on the front lines while we demonstrate that we are an independent nation at our place."

Before the match against Scotland, I mentioned that my birthday was the next day. Of course, I wanted only victories, but also to mark it with goal-scoring actions. And this happened for me. But still, all thoughts are about today's difficult times. However, I'm confident that our victory is not far off, both on the football field and at the front. Our Armed Forces demonstrate courage and bravery, which gives us more strength and motivation." — said Oleksandr Karavaev.

We remind you that the final match of the 2022 World Cup playoff between the national teams of Wales and Ukraine will take place on June 5 in Cardiff. The start of the meeting is at 19:00 Kyiv time.