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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Ed Vulliamy

I saw Ukraine’s football party 10 years ago – and I’ll be supporting them against Wales

Ukraine Football Wales World Cup England Andriy Shevchenko Kyiv Euro Euro 2012 Milan
Ukraine fans celebrate after their team's victory over Scotland in the 2022 World Cup qualifier at Hampden Park Glasgow.
Ukraine fans celebrate after their team's victory over Scotland in the 2022 World Cup qualifier at Hampden Parkb Glasgow. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Observer

On Sunday evening, every football fan in the world – apart from the Welsh – will be joined by many others who do not even care for the game in rooting for the national team of battered and besieged but resilient Ukraine as they face Wales for a place in the World Cup in Qatar later this year.

Watching here in St Davids, Pembrokeshire, even I, with a substantial quotient of Welsh DNA, will be wearing my official Ukraine yellow football shirt with “Malinovskyi 8” on the back.

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