Danylo Sikan: "Everyone dreams of scoring the first goal in Ukraine's Olympic debut"

13.07.2024 14:00

Forward of Ukraine’s Olympic team, Danylo Sikan, shared his impressions of the team's preparation for the 2024 Olympics in France.

"I understand that participating in the Olympic Games is particularly important for Ukraine at this time. Preparation with the national team is very different from club training because we need to quickly grasp the tactics and get to know each other in a short period. We know that not all clubs released the players the coaching staff wanted, so we have to prepare to the fullest.

The team is built on the idea that we must support each other. Otherwise, there will be no result. Regarding our opponents, European teams are more tactically prepared. However, the more exotic teams are stronger and more enduring, and we have to play against them using our physical strength.

We are working at a good pace with very intense sessions. Today we had a theory session about our first sparring opponent, the Egyptian team. They are a very good team, compact, and physically prepared. They rely more on the individual qualities of their players. Our task for the friendly matches is to prepare for the Olympics both tactically and physically.

I think all players dream of scoring the first goal at Ukraine’s first-ever Olympic Games. I also want to become the top scorer for the Olympic team, but the most important thing is the team’s victory," said Danylo Sikan.

Official Roster of Ukraine's Olympic Football Team for the 2024 Games

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Forwards

The list includes 22 players, with four reserved spots.

According to the regulations, players born after January 1, 2001, are eligible to participate. Additionally, each team can include three players who are older than this age.

2024 Olympics. Men's Football Tournament

Group A: France, USA, Guinea, New Zealand.

Group B: Argentina, Morocco, Iraq, Ukraine.

Group C: Uzbekistan, Spain, Egypt, Dominican Republic.

Group D: Japan, Paraguay, Mali, Israel.

Group B Schedule

July 24, 2024

Argentina vs Morocco (16:00, Saint-Étienne)

Iraq vs Ukraine (20:00, Lyon)

July 27, 2024

Argentina vs Iraq (16:00, Lyon)

Ukraine vs Morocco (18:00, Saint-Étienne)

July 30, 2024

Ukraine vs Argentina (18:00, Lyon)

Morocco vs Iraq (18:00, Nice)

All match times are in Kyiv time.

The two top teams from Group B advance to face representatives from Group A.

The format of the Olympic tournament remains traditional: battling in four groups of four teams, with the top two advancing to the playoffs, followed by quarterfinals, semifinals, the match for third place, and the final (August 9th, Paris, Parc des Princes).

It's worth recalling that last summer, by defeating France (3:1) in the quarterfinal match of the 2023 Euro (U-21) and securing a spot in the semifinals, our team achieved a historic success, earning the country the right to participate in the football tournament at the Olympics for the first time. Alongside Ukraine, Spain and Israel also obtained licenses for the 2024 Summer Games in this discipline through the 2023 U-21 Euro.

Participants in the men's football tournament at the 2024 Olympic Games will compete from July 24th to August 9th in seven cities in France: Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Saint-Étienne, Nice, and Nantes. According to the regulations, players born after January 1, 2001, are eligible to participate. Additionally, each team can include three players older than this age.

In total, 16 national teams will participate in the tournament: France as the host, three teams representing Europe (Ukraine, Spain, Israel), three from Africa (Morocco, Egypt, Mali), three from Asia (Japan, Uzbekistan, Iraq), two from South America (Paraguay, Argentina), two from the CONCACAF region (USA, Dominican Republic), one from Oceania (New Zealand), and the winner of the intercontinental play-off (Guinea).