Illia Zabarnyi shared his thoughts after Ukraine's defeat to France in their opening World Cup 2026 qualification match. The central defender admitted the team needs to be more clinical in front of goal following their home loss to the French side.
"It was a tough game, but interesting. You need to understand that when you get a chance, you must score. In such matches, you won't get many clear-cut opportunities," Zabarnyi explained after the final whistle.
The Ukrainian defender remained optimistic despite the setback, emphasizing that the "blue and yellows" showed good team spirit throughout the encounter. He pointed out that while their first-half performance was solid, they grew in confidence after the break and created several promising chances.
However, the inability to convert those opportunities ultimately cost Ukraine. When France netted their second goal, the mountain became too steep to climb.
"We didn't score when we could have. There's always room for improvement. We'll analyze this and move forward. Our next game is very important," – said the defender.
Interestingly, Zabarnyi also revealed that coach's halftime instructions weren't particularly dramatic. The team was simply encouraged to maintain their defensive discipline while being more aggressive in attack.
"Today there really was a team on the field. Everyone fought and created good moments," Zabarnyi added, highlighting the collective effort despite the disappointing result.
Ukraine now has just three days to regroup before facing Azerbaijan away in their next qualifier. Can Zabarnyi and his teammates bounce back with the much-needed three points? That match already looks like a must-win situation if they want to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
