History might not be on their side, but Serhiy Rebrov believes Mikhail Fomenko's Ukraine have the quality to surprise France over two legs and qualify for Brazil 2014.
Ukraine have a painful history with play-offs for major tournaments, but
Serhiy Rebrov believes Mikhail Fomenko’s side have the quality to
surprise France in their two-legged contest for a place at the 2014 FIFA
World Cup finals.
Rebrov told UEFA.com: “If Ukraine show the class of football they
showed in the recent games against England or Poland, that confidence
and that motivation, then it is France who should fear our team.”
Rebrov
was three times a play-off loser with Ukraine and saw his country miss
out again this way in 2010 World Cup qualifying, yet the former FC
Dynamo Kyiv striker – a member of the team that reached the Germany 2006
quarter-finals – stressed that the “modern generation” need not let
their past trouble them.
“There’s almost nobody left who played in
those games,” the 39-year-old said, adding: “Now we have a chance, we
hope […] that this play-off will be successful for us.” Watch the full
interview above as Rebrov, now Dynamo’s reserve-team coach, relives
Ukraine’s previous World Cup joys and heartaches.
