Ukrainian national football team arrives in Almaty

Ukrainian football players arrived in Almaty last night, September 8, with a charter flight from Kiev, less than one day before their game with the national team of Kazakhstan, KZ-today correspondent reports.

It will be the second World Cup-2006 qualifier game for the Ukrainian team. It managed to draw scores with a Euro-2004 quarter final participant Denmark on September 4 in Copenhagen - 1:1.

Andrei Schevchenko from the Italian "Milano" is missing among the players who have arrived in Almaty. All other key players of the Ukrainian team are preparing for the match.

"Schevchenko was injured at coaching. The injure is not serious, but he would not manage to recover in time to play against the Kazakhstani football team," - the coaching headquarters of the Ukrainian team comments.

"The majority of our players have a long experience of playing at the highest level. We aspire for success," - Andrei Gussin, one of the most experienced of Ukrainian halfbacks.

The World Cup-2006 qualifier will take place today, September 8, at 21.00 at the central stadium of Almaty. Kazakhstani football players are debuting in the World Cup qualifying tour as an UEFA member.