Valery Karpin, the head coach of the Russian national team, expressed satisfaction with the squad’s mindset during the warm-up match against Cameroon. His remarks centered on a sense of collective purpose and a strong competitive spirit, noting that the word championship felt apt to describe the effort.
He added that the Cameroon game stood out as the best performance to date. While not everything clicked, several aspects were encouraging. The players showed commitment and maintained high energy throughout the match. It was clear to Karpin that the team could sustain tempo and intensity for the full 90 minutes, unlike some earlier fixtures where consistency wavered against teams like Iran or in stretches against Qatar. The overall impression, he said, was that the game was more complete across the entire duration, and the coach focused on the positive momentum built by the players.
On October 12, the Russian squad secured a 1-0 victory over Cameroon, with Fedor Chalov of CSKA Moscow scoring the decisive goal.
In spring 2022, FIFA and UEFA suspended Russia’s participation in all competitions governed by these bodies, affecting both the national team and all Russian clubs. During the isolation period under Karpin’s leadership, the national team conducted nine friendly matches, using the time to build cohesion and test different tactical approaches ahead of forthcoming fixtures.
A previous Russian national team captain faced criticism for what was described as an unacceptable error, a reminder that performance assessments can be stringent and ongoing, even for teams with high expectations.