Head coach of the national football team of Ukraine Andriy Shevchenko has great hopes for the upcoming games against Kosovo and Croatia.

The coach of the Ukrainian team told about the mood before the decisive matches and assessed the opponents in an interview with the FIFA website.

"We have a very complex group. From the very beginning of the qualification all the coaches talked about the equal strength of opponents. Against Iceland and Croatia it is very difficult to play on the road, as against us. The national team of Ukraine has good chances to enter the 2018 World Cup. Ahead are two very important meetings with Kosovo and Croatia. I think everything is going in the right direction.

To win these games, you do not just have to go on the field and play. Need to show your best football. Pressure due to the importance of such meetings is very serious. We prepare well and hope that we will be able to properly play.

I hope that soon the recognition of Ukrainian footballers will come.

We have some very good young and several recognized players. Andrei Yarmolenko plays in "Borussia" and Eugene Konoplyanka in "Schalke". I always hope that the Ukrainians will be able to show themselves well, and, probably, will be nominated for one of the awards, or the best player, or, perhaps, the best goalkeeper, "said Shevchenko. Recall fights against Kosovo and Croatia will be held on October 6 and 9 respectively. After 8 rounds the national team of Ukraine is on the fourth place in Group I.