Ukraine‘s tears of despair turned to joy after qualification for the Euro 2024 soccer tournament was achieved with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Iceland in their playoff final held in Wroclaw Stadium in Poland on Tuesday.
Viktor Tsygankov and Mykhailo Mudryk scored second-half goals as it was mission accomplished in a campaign where Ukraine have been forced to play “home” fixtures in Slovakia, Czechia, Germany and Poland following Russia’s February 2022 invasion of the country that sparked a war which still rages.
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Albert Gudmundsson had put Iceland ahead in the first half, but they surrendered possession and the initiative as they struggled to contain Ukraine for much of the contest.
It is a fourth straight visit to the continental finals for Ukraine, who take their place in Group E with Belgium, Slovakia and Romania, against whom they open their campaign on June 17.
“Thank you boys! Thank you to the team! For proving once again that when Ukrainians face challenges but refuse to give up and continue the fight, they invariably win,” Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a message on Telegram.
Chants of “Ukraine, Ukraine” rang around the stadium, the scenes of jubilation and yellow and blue flags waving not far removed…
