Welcome to Africanews

Please select your experience

Watch Live

Sport

sport

Andriy Shevchenko appointed Ukraine head coach

Ukraine

Ukraine’s former striker Andriy Shevchenko was appointed national team manager on Friday.

He replaces Mykhailo Fomenko who quit after Euro 2016, the country’s soccer federation said.

The 39-year-old, Ukraine’s record goalscorer who also played for Dynamo Kiev, AC Milan and Chelsea, was officially presented by federation president Andriy Pavelko at a news conference.

Fomenko resigned after Ukraine finished bottom of Group C without a point at the European Championship, having failed to score a goal in their three matches in France.

They lost 2-0 to Germany in their opening game and were beaten by the same scoreline by unfancied Northern Ireland before their campaign ended with a 1-0 defeat to Poland.

Shevchenko, who scored 48 goals in 111 games for Ukraine, joined the national team coaching staff ahead of Euro 2016, replacing assistant coach Olexandr Zavarov.

He retired from playing football after Euro 2012, which Ukraine co-hosted with Poland, having had a successful club career in which he won the Ballon d’Or in 2004 at Milan.

Ukraine's all-time top scorer Andriy Shevchenko has been appointed national team coach. #EURO2016 pic.twitter.com/0kmJb0IM50

— UEFA EURO 2016 (@UEFAEURO) July 15, 2016

The former Dynamo, Milan and Chelsea forward will have his first competitive match in charge at home to Iceland in Kyiv on 5 September, with Croatia, Finland, Kosovo and Turkey also in World Cup qualifying Group I.

View more