Ukraine fans hold up Zelensky masks and Zinchenko’s wife wears yellow and blue at emotional Scotland World Cup play-off
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UKRAINE fans held up masks of defiant president Volodymyr Zelensky as they roared their war-torn nation to a World Cup play-off semi-final win over Scotland at Hampden Park.
The World Cup qualifier was originally scheduled to take place on March 29, but it was delayed due to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
The clash was Ukraine's first competitive fixture since the conflict began in February.
Players were close to tears as the took to the pitch before belting out their national anthem.
Hampden Park was awash with yellow and blue as Ukrainian fans flocked to support their side.
Many held up 'Stop War' banners and 'We Stand With Ukraine' scarves in emotional scenes before kick-off.
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While masks of heroic president Zelensky were also proudly shown off.
Ukraine star Oleksandr Zinchenko's wife Vlada Shcheglova was also in attendance, wearing a blue and yellow flowered crown, as she worked for Ukrainian TV.
The Ukraine players, captained by West Ham's Andriy Yarmolenko, wore their country's colours around their shoulders as they sang.
Scotland fans joined in with singing the Ukrainian national anthem outside Hampden before kick-off.
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The rendition, orchestrated by language learning app , was led by bass-baritone opera singer Vasyl Savenko and Ukrainian female duo Julia Kogut-Kalynyuk and Kateryna Trachuk.
Goals from from Andriy Yarmolenko, Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk earned a 3-1 win.
And boss Oleksandr Petrakov dedicated their stunning World Cup play-off win over Scotland to the heroic soldiers defending his war-torn country.
And an emotional Petrakov declared: “This victory was not for me, nor the team, but for our country.
“We play for our people back home who suffer every day, for our armed forces who are in trenches and hospitals, who fight with their last drop of blood.
“All my emotions are on the pitch. I am exhausted and empty.”
Ukraine must now beat Wales in Cardiff to complete their World Cup fairy tale.
Scotland and Liverpool legend Graeme Souness - who had admitted he wanted Ukraine to win - urged Fifa to add a spot at the Qatar tournament, regardless of Sunday's result.
He said before kick-off: "In Ukraine right now it transcends football, this is life and death.
"We have to stand up and support Ukraine
"Fifa should say, this team should be going to the World Cup, make a group of five somewhere.
“Ukraine should be going to the World Cup. They need to keep the name of Ukraine at the forefront of everyone’s mind.”
He says the kids of Ukraine want the war to end. But he also says they also dream of making the World Cup.
City ace Zinchenko broke down in a press conference ahead of the game.
As reported by , he said: “Every Ukrainian wants one thing - to stop the war.
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"I spoke to kids who don’t understand what’s happening, but they have one dream: They want the war to end.
"We also have another dream: To make the World Cup."
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Goals by Yarmolenko, Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk won the game for Ukraine.
Callum McGregor's 79th minute goal wasn't enough to spur a turnaround.
