Ukraine national team defender Yevhen Cheberko together with head coach Serhiy Rebrov participated in a press conference ahead of the CANADIAN Shield friendly tournament match against New Zealand.

— I believe that playing for your national team is a privilege for every player. Therefore, you cannot say there's a lack of motivation. Every footballer wants to play for the national team. Especially in such difficult times, we want to demonstrate that our country is strong and capable of fighting.

— Do you consider this tournament in Canada as part of your preparation for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers?

— Yes, definitely. The coaches have already shown us video analysis of the match against Canada. They pointed out our mistakes to us. I hope that this work will help in the game against New Zealand and already in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

— What do you expect from the match against New Zealand?

— The coaching staff showed us a match between New Zealand and Ivory Coast. We know what to expect from this opponent. But I don't want to talk too much... We will try to demonstrate everything on the field. We need to show our reaction to the loss against Canada.

Reminder, the friendly tournament Canadian Shield match against New Zealand will take place in Toronto at BMO Field on June 10 (kickoff at 23:50 Kyiv time).