The first round of Euro-2024 (WU-17) qualification in German Duisburg concluded with the Ukrainian women's team securing third place in their group, retaining their spot in League A.

In a comment on the official website of the UAF, head coach Sergei Sapronov explained whether his players could have expected more:

— Unfortunately, there were signs of a lack of game practice. The hosts took advantage of this in the opening match. They dictated terms in the defensive zone and found weak spots in our defense with precise passes. The Germans deservedly won 5-0. It was somewhat comforting that in another match in our group, Romania lost to Austria — 0:8. Experts believed that the Romanians were our main competitors for retaining their spot in the elite division. Our minimum goal was to finish ahead of them because objectively, Germany and Austria had a stronger appearance.

— Therefore, in the second round, it was important not to lose to Romania and maintain an advantage over them in case of equal points...

 — Exactly. However, we did not think about playing for a draw; there were no so-called buses parked in front of our goal as some say. The girls were focused only on winning. With the referee's whistle, they seized control and created half a dozen scoring opportunities but lacked execution. We had to settle for a 0-0 draw.

Photo womensfootball.com.ua

— To retain third place, they had to avoid conceding too many goals against Austria in the final round... especially since she had defeated Germany 3-0...

— I felt that my players were ready for a battle with the Austrians, so there was no talk of any heavy defeat. First and foremost, we studied our opponents' game well and thanks to high pressing, did not allow them to combine on their way towards our penalty area. Moreover, reliable cover negated another trick of the opposition — passes through the lines. In fact, before halftime when Austria went ahead, our girls missed two good chances. Again, our attackers Sofia Konova and Anastasia Migal were off target. After half-time Victoria Savkina reduced the deficit to a minimum — 1:2, and until the final whistle we did not give in.

— Could your players have aimed for more?

— We ended up in a tough group, but there was an opportunity to see that the girls were improving with each round. After the tournament concluded, my assistants and I agreed that if there had been another participant in our group, we would have definitely won against them because we were getting into form. But we have what we have. The main thing is that this team still has unrealized reserves.

— Is anyone from your players worth highlighting?

— Goalkeeper Svitlana Sakno. No complaints about her at all. Well done!

— What's next?

— At the beginning of December, there will be a draw for the second round, and we'll find out our next opponents in Euro-2024 qualification.

Photo womensfootball.com.ua

Euro-2024 (WU-17). First round qualification. League A

Group 4

October 14, 2023

Germany — Ukraine — 5:0

Austria — Romania — 8:0

October 17, 2023

Germany — Austria — 0:3

Romania — Ukraine — 0:0

October 20, 2023

Ukraine — Austria — 1:2 

Romania — Germany — 1:7

Final standings

League A

Group 1: Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Group 2: Poland, Ireland, Norway, Iceland.

Group 3: France, Slovenia, Italy, Scotland.

Group 4: Germany, Romania, Austria, Ukraine.

Group 5: Switzerland, Netherlands, Finland, Bulgaria.

Group 6: England, Belgium, Hungary, Northern Ireland.

Group 7: Sweden, Denmark, Belarus, Greece.

League B

Group 1: Kosovo, North Macedonia, Georgia, Armenia.

Group 2: Serbia, Israel, Andorra, Latvia.

Group 3: Croatia, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan, Malta.

Group 4: Wales, Faroe Islands, Kazakhstan, Albania.

Group 5: Slovakia, Montenegro, Lithuania.

Group 6: Estonia, Turkey, Moldova.

Teams finishing fourth in their groups in League A will continue to the second round of League B. The seeding for the second round will depend on the positions teams finish with in the first round. Sweden also participates despite having a direct qualification spot as hosts.

Teams in League B compete across six groups for promotion to League A. Group winners and runners-up with the best record against the group's top two sides will advance to the higher division.