The head coach of the Ukraine national futsal team, Oleksandr Kosyenko, commented on their victory over Poland (5:3) in the elite round of the World Championship 2024 qualification, which allowed our team to advance to the final tournament. The words of the coach are quoted by YouTube channel of the Ukrainian Futsal Association.

— In the first half, the score was 4:0, and at the end of the second it was 5:3. Can you say that this was one of the most intense matches in your coaching career?

— Overall, there have been many similar games, but such encounters — decisive ones that determine the fate of a World Cup ticket — are rare. Therefore, I would like to thank the boys again for their selflessness, character, and skill. I want to thank the fans who came from Ukraine and Poland, supported us, and made us feel their support. I also want to thank everyone involved in this victory. We are going to the World Cup, which is very important both for futsal and for our country. We feel the support of the entire nation. And that it was 4:0 and then 5:3 — this is a game, and we understood that Poland would fight until the end for this ticket. We were aware that this wasn't over, and we weren't responsible for the score changing — Poland put in maximum effort to try to even out the game and play back. I want to thank the boys again who held their ground, scored the fifth goal. They truly deserved this World Cup qualification.

— During the qualification period, there was a lot of support for the team as well as criticism. Perhaps you have something to say to those who supported and criticized you during this time?

— I always treat people who support us well because they are indeed with us in both joy and sorrow. I understand that criticism should be there, without it there would be stagnation, no progress. Criticism moves us forward, pushes us to do something, change things. So this is good — let them criticize and cheerlead. This will always be the case — not just in futsal but also in life. We continue to work hard. I want to thank those who support us as well as those who criticize.

World Championship 2024. European Qualification. Elite Round

Group B

15.09.2023

Belgium — Ukraine — 2:10

Poland — Serbia — 1:2

20.09.2023

Ukraine — Poland — 2:3

Serbia — Belgium — 3:3

06.10.2023

Serbia — Ukraine — 1:6

Poland — Belgium — 7:2

11.10.2023

Ukraine — Serbia — 1:1

Belgium — Poland — 1:3

15.12.2023

Ukraine — Belgium — 8:2

Serbia — Poland — 2:4

20.12.2023

Poland — Ukraine — 3:5

Belgium — Serbia — 2:4

Final standings

Advanced to the final tournament: Kazakhstan, Ukraine, France, Spain, Portugal.

Will play in the elite round playoff: Netherlands, Poland, Croatia, Finland.

Elite Round Playoff

Drawing: 25 January 2024.

Matches: 8—17 April 2024.

Four teams will be drawn into two pairs, and matches will take place home and away. The winners of the pairs will advance to the World Cup.

The World Championship will take place in Uzbekistan from September 14 to October 6, 2024.