The Ukraine’s national football team is the international women’s football team in Ukraine, it is governed by the Ukrainian Association of Football. They played their first international match against Moldova on 30th June, 1992 in Kyiv, Ukraine. However, they are not been looked upon as a world class playing football nation and perhaps the only major tournament they have played is the UEFA Women’s Euro 2009. They are nicknamed the Zhinky.
The team currently has a 30 member squad for the international level, which includes:
- Daryna Bondarchuk (Goalkeeper)
- Iryna Sanina (Goalkeepr)
- Kateryna Samson (Goalkeeper)
- Yana Derkach (Defender)
- Darya Kravets (Defender)
- Iryna Podolska (Defender)
- Solomiia Kupiak (Defender)
- Lyubov Shmatko (Defender)
- Kateryna Korsun (Defender)
- Natia Pantsulaia (Defender)
- Anna Petryk (Midfielder)
- Yana Kalinina (Midfielder)
- Nadiia Khavanska (Midfielder)
- Yuliia Khrystiuk (Midfielder)
- Tetyana Kitayeva (Midfielder)
- Yuliia Shevchuk (Midfielder)
- Anastasiya Voronina (Midfielder)
- Nadiia Kunina (Midfielder)
- Olha Ovdiychuk (Midfielder)
- Tetyana Romanenko (Midfielder)
- Khrystyna Pereviznyk (Midfielder)
- Viktoriya Hiryn (Midfielder)
- Yana Malakhova (Midfielder)
- Tamila Khimich (Midfielder)
- Daryna Apanashchenko (Midfielder)
- Iryna Kochnyeva (Midfielder)
- Iryna Kotiash (Midfielder)
- Nicole Kozlova (Forward)
- Inna Hlushchenko (Forward)
- Roksolana Kravchuk (Forward)
On the work front, the women’s side have pulled off stunners as well by winning the Albena Cup in the year 2000, recently they were also crowned the champions of the Turkish Women’s Cup in 2022.
Recently a semi professional female soccer team who were looking for shelter has flew to Germany and has found a home and a training ground at the FC Cologne club, the team will also coach other amateur or professional Ukrainian athletes stranded in Cologne, said by Cologne Foundation member Thorsten Friedrich. In context to the ongoing war with Russia, every Ukrainian is facing a rough and horrible time
Every large refugee centre currently consists of 95% women with children of all ages, and these children could enjoy soccer training. That’s the vision we have,” Friedrich said. “The club leadership is doing everything possible so that we can train here in peace. They try to keep us away from all kinds of bad news and sometimes they succeed,” said a 17 year old player Ruslana Levchenko.
“Now they are safe. The players have the opportunity to pursue their passion, to train, but also go to school, Youth Director Zharikov said.
The players now have been staying in a hotel in Cologne which is now a refugee spot, and they are able to use the facilities of the football club. Kryvbas (team in the Ukrainian league) captain said its difficult to focus here in Germany while the families lives are at stake back in Ukraine.
