The Ukrainian youth team (players born in 2004 or later) triumphantly performed in the qualification round of Euro-2023 (U-19), finishing the tournament in first place in their group with Sweden, Cyprus, and Kosovo. The blue-and-yellow team won three matches out of three and are now preparing for the elite round matches, which will take place next spring.

Regarding past competitions that took place in Sweden, the official website of the UAF spoke to our team's head coach, Serhiy Nagornyy.

— Mr. Nagorny, are you satisfied with your players' performance?

— How can I be unsatisfied with three wins? In the conditions we found ourselves in, the boys showed their best side. They tried hard and gave it their all in every game.

— The opening match against Kosovo's team was won only on the fifth minute of injury time. Bad luck?

— It was tough because we had only one full training session before the game, which was pre-match. The match with Kosovo was essentially to get the team playing together since their last full squad gathering was three years ago. In the match against the Balkan team, it was clear that the boys hadn't played for a long time. There were opportunities but no luck. But they held on and managed to squeeze out a win in the end. Well done!

— One of the best scorers for Ukraine's team is Yegor Yamoluyk. Has he matured in England?

— I can confidently say that Yegor is ready for senior football. But I wouldn't single anyone out. The whole team worked well in this situation. With each game, they improved. We beat Cyprus 4-1 and the final score against Sweden (2-0) could have been 8-3 (smiling). In the second and third matches, I had almost no complaints about my players.

— What are the immediate plans for Ukraine's youth team?

— We're waiting for the draw of the elite round, which will take place on December 8th, and then we'll build some plans, consulting with UAF leadership about future work.

Euro-2023 (U-19). Qualification Round. Group 3

November 17, 2022

Ukraine — Kosovo — 1:0

Cyprus — Sweden — 0:0

November 20, 2022

Ukraine — Cyprus — 4:1

Sweden — Kosovo — 3:0

November 23, 2022

Sweden — Ukraine — 0:2

Kosovo — Cyprus — 0:0

Final Standings

As a reminder, the top two teams from each of 13 groups and the best third-place team (based on results against the first and second place teams in their group) will join Portugal for the elite round next spring. Malta's national team secured direct entry to the final stage as hosts of the tournament. There they will be joined by winners of seven groups from the elite round.