March 27, (THEWILL) – In a highly anticipated match, Russia played to a 2-0 victory over Iraq on Sunday, marking their first home international game since their military invasion of Ukraine.
The win comes after the country’s suspension from UEFA and FIFA competitions last year. Since the ban, Russia had played several friendly matches against neighbouring countries, but had not had the chance to play on their home turf until now.
The Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg was originally scheduled to host the 2021 UEFA Champions League final, but the game was moved to Paris in response to Russia’s military actions.
Despite the absence of key players due to injuries and COVID-19 protocols, Anton Miranchuk and Sergey Pinyaev scored in the second half, securing a comfortable victory for Russia. The win is a morale booster for the country’s football team, who will be looking to make a strong comeback after the suspension.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
