Oleksandr Kosenko: "We need to improve our fitness and sharpen tactical schemes"

31.08.2024 14:00

The head coach of the Ukraine national futsal team, Oleksandr Kosenko, summarized the team’s recent friendly matches and discussed their preparation for the 2024 World Cup.

In preparation for the 2024 World Cup, Ukraine’s futsal team played five friendly matches. The team faced Costa Rica (4:0), Cuba (7:0), and the hosts (6:3), Saudi Arabia (8:3) and Libya (2:2).

Head coach Oleksandr Kosenko commented on the ongoing preparations for the World Cup.

"We are continuing our preparation for the World Cup as we still have time. We need to improve our physical condition and sharpen certain tactical schemes. We have another training camp planned in Kazakhstan, where we will focus on this. We must perfect our game, so the preparation continues.

Unfortunately, Yevhen Zhuk has suffered an injury regarding the players' health. We’ll see how serious it is and how long his recovery will take. We are waiting for the MRI results. The other players are more or less healthy. There are minor injuries and small issues, but that’s always the case," said Oleksandr Kosenko.

As a reminder, the team will travel to Kazakhstan for the final stage of their World Cup preparation, adapting to the time zone and climate, before arriving in Tashkent on September 11.

The final tournament of the 2024 Futsal World Cup, featuring Ukraine’s national team, will take place from September 14 to October 6 in three cities in Uzbekistan—Andijan, Bukhara, and Tashkent. Fourteen players will be included in Ukraine’s squad for the 2024 World Cup.

Ukraine’s Futsal Squad:

Goalkeepers: Yuriy Savenko (Aurora Kyiv), Oleksandr Sukhov (HIT Kyiv), Kyrylo Tsypun (Piast, Poland), Oleksandr Siritskyi (Uragan Ivano-Frankivsk).

Outfield Players: Ihor Korsun (Osasuna Magna, Spain), Petro Shoturma (Uragan Ivano-Frankivsk), Yevhen Zhuk, Andriy Melnyk, Danylo Abakshyn, Ihor Chernyavskyi, Oleksandr Pedyash (all HIT Kyiv), Mykola Mykytyuk (Cordoba, Spain), Rostyslav Semenchenko (Aurora Kyiv), Mykhailo Zvarych (Enerhiya Lviv), Nazar Shved, Artem Farenyuk (both Eurobus, Poland).

2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup. Final tournament

Group A: Uzbekistan, Netherlands, Paraguay, Costa Rica.

Group B: Brazil, Cuba, Croatia, Thailand.

Group C: Argentina, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Angola.

Group D: Spain, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Libya.

Group E: Portugal, Panama, Tajikistan, Morocco.

Group F: Iran, Venezuela, Guatemala, France.

Group C

September 15, 2024

Afghanistan vs. Angola (15:30, Tashkent)

Argentina vs. Ukraine (18:00, Tashkent)

September 18, 2024

Angola vs. Ukraine (15:30, Tashkent)

Argentina vs. Afghanistan (18:00, Tashkent)

September 21, 2024

Ukraine vs. Afghanistan (18:00, Andijan)

Angola vs. Argentina (18:00, Tashkent)

Round of 16

September 24, 2024

37. 1B vs. 3ACD (15:30, Bukhara)

38. 2A vs. 2C (18:00, Tashkent)

September 25, 2024

39. 1D vs. 3BEF (15:30, Andijan)

40. 1A vs. 3CDE (18:00, Tashkent)

September 26, 2024

41. 1F vs. 2E (15:30, Bukhara)

42. 1E vs. 2D (18:00, Andijan)

September 27, 2024

43. 2B vs. 2F (15:30, Bukhara)

44. 1C vs. 3ABF (18:00, Tashkent)

Quarter-finals

September 29, 2024

45. Winner of 37 vs. Winner of 41 (15:30, Bukhara)

46. Winner of 38 vs. Winner of 39 (18:00, Tashkent)

September 30, 2024

47. Winner of 43 vs. Winner of 40 (15:30, Bukhara)

48. Winner of 42 vs. Winner of 44 (18:00, Tashkent)

Semi-finals

October 2, 2024

49. Winner of 46 vs. Winner of 45 (18:00, Tashkent)

October 3, 2024

50. Winner of 48 vs. Winner of 47 (18:00, Tashkent)

Third-place Playoff

October 6, 2024

Loser of 49 vs. Loser of 50 (15:30, Tashkent)

Final

October 6, 2024

Winner of 49 vs. Winner of 50 (18:00, Tashkent)

Match times are in Kyiv time.