The famous Ukrainian coach Jozsef Szabo highly praised the potential of young Dynamo Kyiv forward Matvey Ponomarenko. In an interview with "Sport-Express," Szabo noted that Ponomarenko is already beginning to justify the coaching staff's trust with his performances in the first team's matches.
After Vladislav Vanat's transfer to Spanish club Girona, Matvey Ponomarenko got the chance to secure a spot in Dynamo's main team rotation. In the 2025/26 season, the forward has already played 12 matches, scoring three goals, which allows him to be considered one of Ukraine's most promising center forwards.
Szabo emphasized the importance of proper motivation and stable playing practice for the young player: "Matvey has everything to improve, the main thing is that he truly wants it. Such forwards need to constantly grow and not stop at their initial successes. I sincerely wish for him to reach a top club level and make a big step forward," Szabo commented.
Matvey Ponomarenko began his career in Dynamo's youth teams and shows increasing maturity on the field with each season. His performances for Dynamo U-19 made him known for his consistent goalscoring, and now he is starting to earn a place in the main squad under the guidance of Igor Kostyuk.
Kostyuk also defended the young forward from criticism, highlighting his effective play in the recent Conference League match against Armenian club Noah, where Ponomarenko scored his first European competition goal.
