The Iraqi national football team lost 0-2 to its host, Russia, in the friendly match that was held between them on Sunday in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.
The two goals of the match came in the second half, as Anton Mirachuk opened the scoring for Russia in the 50th minute, before Sergei Benyaev added the second goal in the 58th minute.
The match comes within the framework of the Iraqi national team’s preparations for the upcoming benefits, after it was crowned last January with the Gulf Cup title (Gulf 25) for the fourth time in its history, at home and in front of its fans.
This friendly confrontation is the first international match to be held on Russian soil since November 2021, when the Russian national team defeated its Cypriot counterpart in the European qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) and its European counterpart (UEFA) imposed a ban on the Russian national team and clubs from participating in international competitions, due to the military operation that Russia launched in Ukraine more than a year ago.
This was the second friendly match played by the Russian national team during the current international break, after it had previously tied 1-1 with its host Iran in the capital, Tehran, 4 days ago.
