PARIS: Ukraine’s 2022 World Cup play-off with Scotland, rearranged following the Russian invasion, will take place on June 1, world governing body FIFA announced on Thursday.
The winners of the match at Hampden Park in Glasgow will play Wales on June 5 in Cardiff for a spot at this year’s finals in Qatar.
FIFA had postponed the original match date of March 24 at the request of Ukraine with the support of Wales, Scotland and Austria, whom the Welsh eventually beat in their play-off.
That same day FIFA also announced that Poland, who were due to face Russia in their play-off, had received a bye and would face the winner of Sweden v Czech Republic on March 29.
Poland ultimately qualified for the November 21-December 18 World Cup finals in Qatar after beating Sweden.
Russia had been expelled from the World Cup after being suspended from all international competitions “until further notice” by FIFA and UEFA.
“The rescheduled fixtures have resulted in the UEFA Nations League calendar being adjusted for some of the games in order to accommodate the postponed play-off matches,” FIFA said in a statement.
“FIFA would like to thank all of the parties involved for the strong spirit of solidarity and cooperation that has led to this unanimous decision.”
Ukraine, Scotland and Wales are playing to become the 13th European country to qualify for Qatar.
The winner of the play-off will go into Group B alongside England, the United States and Iran, with a first match scheduled against the Americans on November 21 at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al-Rayyan.
The Ukrainian league did not resume after the winter break and has been put on hold indefinitely following the invasion by Russia on February 24.
FIFA last month relaxed its rules to allow home-based Ukrainian players to move to foreign clubs without having to wait for the next transfer window.
This follows the move by FIFA to allow foreign footballers and coaches working in Ukraine and Russia to suspend their contracts temporarily and move elsewhere.
Ukraine’s 2022 World Cup play-off with Scotland on June 1: FIFA
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Ukraine’s 2022 World Cup play-off with Scotland on June 1: FIFA
- The winners of the match at Hampden Park in Glasgow will play Wales on June 5 in Cardiff for a spot at this year's finals in Qatar
- FIFA had postponed the original match date of March 24 at the request of Ukraine
Mahindra Racing target swift response at Mexico City E-Prix after mixed season opener in Sao Paulo
- The team showed improved pace in Brazil, with Edoardo Mortara and Nyck de Vries starting 3rd and 5th on the grid, but only the latter finished in the points
- ‘Sao Paulo was a tough start to the season but there were plenty of positives … ultimately it’s only one race, the season is long and we have plenty of opportunities ahead,’ says de Vries
LONDON: As Mahindra Racing targets an immediate response when the Formula E World Championship resumes in Mexico City this weekend, driver Nyck de Vries is confident the team can build on the positives from a difficult season opener in Sao Paulo last month.
The team showed improved pace in Brazil to become the only outfit to place both cars in the knockout Qualifying Duels, with de Vries and Edoardo Mortara starting the big race fifth and third on the grid respectively.
De Vries went on to finish ninth, picking up two points, but Mortara was forced to retire as a result of contact damage.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to racing this weekend in Mexico,” de Vries said. “Sao Paulo was a tough start to the season but there were plenty of positives for us to take away, and ultimately it’s only one race, the season is long and we have plenty of opportunities ahead of us.
“This event (in Mexico City) always brings out a fantastic crowd. You can really feel the energy from the grandstands in the Foro Sol and around the paddock, so I’m also looking forward to being back in that atmosphere.”
Mortara said team confidence remains high heading into round two of the season at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
“It’s always nice to have a little break over the festive period, so I’m feeling recharged and ready to get back to racing,” he said.
“As a team, it’s very important to keep Sao Paulo in perspective; it was a tough start but we have 16 more races ahead of us, starting with Mexico, and we know we have the car and the team to compete for strong results.
“Formula E is about having that little bit of luck, sometimes, so as long as we continue to work hard, develop and put ourselves in those positions, the results will come.”
Team principal Frederic Bertrand said the focus now is on execution after encouraging performance gains with the team’s new M12Electro car.
“It’s really important that we hit the ground running in Mexico City this weekend, and everybody is arriving recharged and refocused after a short winter break,” he said.
“In some ways we played our ‘joker’ in Sao Paulo, with a difficult weekend, but there are a lot of positives for us to take away.
“We know that we have made some steps forward in performance with the M12Electro, and are clearly stronger over one-lap pace but also race runs — our energy efficiency in Brazil was another step forward from last year — so all the ingredients are in place to be successful.
“If we can execute at the high level we now expect from ourselves, then there’s no reason why we can’t be in the challenge for the podium again this weekend.”
After the Shakedown session and first free practice on Friday afternoon, the Mexico City E-Prix will follow the established single-day format synonymous with Formula E, with the second free practice session, qualifying, and the big race itself all taking place on Saturday.
