Sport
Russia Coach Says His Team Played Well Despite Draw with Super Eagles
Russia’s head coach Valery Karpin praised his team’s performance after their 1-1 draw with Nigeria in the friendly at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on Friday. The game saw Semi Ajayi score an own goal to give Russia the lead, but Nigeria fought back through Tolu Arokodare’s equalizer.
Karpin highlighted Russia’s high pressing and direct style of play, as well as their strong defensive effort, which limited Nigeria to very few shots on target. He also singled out goalkeeper Maduka Okoye for making several important saves during the match.
“I can’t recall a single moment where we were really threatened except for a mistake during a play out,” Karpin said after the game. “Nigeria didn’t create much danger, but we had our chances. Melekhin and Barinov both came close after set pieces. The goal we conceded wasn’t really from pressure — it was just a lapse.”
Russia had previously beaten Zambia 5-0 in another friendly, but Karpin acknowledged that Nigeria and Cameroon are at a higher level than Zambia and Kenya. “They’re all strong, athletic teams, but Cameroon and Nigeria stand out with higher quality and power. The FIFA rankings back this up. You just can’t compare them. Nigeria and Cameroon make the games more exciting,” he added.
Former footballer Thierry Henry has shared his thoughts on Arsenal’s match following their loss to Atlético Madrid on October 13.
Speaking during a brief interview on CBS Sports, Henry criticised the practice of players or coaches expressing certain opinions through the media instead of addressing issues directly within the dressing room.
“I’m not a coach anymore, but I always say, whoever speaks like that, out. Keep that in the dressing room, it’s as simple as that,” Henry said on CBS Sports.
“That is the only way it can work. You have to say those things to a person’s face… going through the press, I am not really a fan of that.”
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has shared his thoughts on the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, revealing that he hopes the winner will come from his team.
The manager spoke about how hard his players have worked and expressed his belief that they deserve the recognition.
“What I hope is that we win this trophy. We have players who deserve it.”
“Last year, we were the best team. We showed that it wasn’t just Ousmane Dembélé who deserved it.”
French football pundit Walid Acherchour has named Lamine Yamal as his pick to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, sparking reactions among football fans.
Acherchour’s choice came as a surprise to some fans, who expected him to support fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappé instead.
Speaking about his prediction, Acherchour expressed confidence in Yamal’s chances of winning the prestigious individual award.
“For me, Lamine Yamal, he is going to get it [2026 Ballon d’Or]. For me, there’s no doubt anymore,” Acherchour said, as quoted by Actu Foot. That start to the season shows that in fact, he was injured during the World Cup. He was the best player in La Liga, and he won the World Cup.
“Even if, for me, in fact, he doesn’t have the Ballon d’Or unanimously because his World Cup was average, even being average, he won it with Spain. He won La Liga with Barça.”
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