NICOSIA /Cyprus/, September 1. /TASS/. Russia has won 2-0 in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Cyprus. The away match was played at Nicosia’s GSP Stadium on Saturday.
Alexander Yerokhin opened the scoring in 6th minute. Rifat Zhemaletdinov scored his first goal for Russia (54th minute), while Fedor Smolov gave both assists. He was replaced in the 75th minute by 19-year-old striker Konstantin Tyukavin, who made his debut for the Russian national team.
The Russians played their second match with new head coach Valery Karpin, who was appointed on July 26 to succeed Stanislav Cherchesov. On September 1, Russia drew Croatia 0-0 at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Following the 2022 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw in Zurich on September 7, 2020 for Europe’s national teams, Russia was seeded in Group H with the national squads from Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta.
Qatar is set to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup between November 21 and December 18 at eight stadiums in seven cities across the country, namely in Doha, Lusail, Al Wakrah, Al Khor, Al Rayyan, Umm Salal and Madinat ash Shamal.
Qatar won the right to host the matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on December 2, 2010.
In March 2015, FIFA officially announced that the 22nd edition of FIFA’s flagship event would be played in November and December 2022, with the final match set for December 18, 2022 - Qatar National Day - and with the objective, in principle, of holding the tournament in 28 days.