It was an evening that began with the Ukrainian national anthem’s lyrics striking an emotional chord at a tense Hampden.
The words that were belted out moments later took on a whole new meaning after their side strode onto the pitch draped in flags of their homeland.
“The glory and freedom of Ukraine has not yet perished. Luck will still smile on us brother-Ukrainians.”
To stun Scotland and earn a historic World Cup play-off final against Wales, a heroic Ukraine summoned a performance of spirit, effort, and courage.
A team pulled together shone brightly at a sun-drenched Hampden, despite their country being engulfed in trauma due to the ongoing war with Russia.
Before Callum McGregor gave Scotland hope late on, Andriy Yarmolenko and Roman Yaremchuk scored either side of halftime. With the final kick of the ball on Sunday, Artem Dovbyk sealed a showdown with Qatar 2022 in Cardiff.
While images of fans in war-torn Ukraine watched on, 3,500 fans in light blue and yellow, including 65 orphans invited by the Scottish FA, celebrated wildly in Glasgow on a night no one will ever forget.
