Russia's coach Valery Karpin plans significant lineup changes for the friendly against Kenya, focusing on performance over results.
Russia national team head coach Valery Karpin is signaling a transformative strategy for the team, hinting at a major overhaul of his squad for the impending face-off against the Kenyan national team, the Harambee Stars.
The bold move comes following Russia Thursday's performance against Cameroon, which showcased both brilliance and moments of concern.
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In a post match conference after the Cameroon game, Karpin voiced his thoughts giving insights into the forthcoming strategy against Kenya.
"I think there were some good moments. As I mentioned, there was more nervousness. We can certainly play better. Especially if we consider the numerous losses in the first half, which were baffling and unjustifiable,” he said as translated from Russian.
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The former Russia international concerns revolved primarily around the squad's unnecessary ball losses, particularly during promising attacks.
"I don't understand why this happens; we lose the ball due to mistakes when our players are positioned for an attack. Consequently, we missed opportunities for dangerous attacks. Without such errors, our performance would have been much better," lamented the coach.
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The 54-year-old gaffer's resolve to present a different look against Kenya suggests his intention to assess players who might not have been in the limelight recently.
"Against Kenya, the starting lineup will change significantly, and we will field a strong squad," he assured.
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Harambee Stars will view this encounter as an opportunity to gauge their readiness and perhaps capitalize on Russia's experimental phase.
Kenya, who will square off against Russia on Monday, October 16, 2023, in Antalya, Turkey, will be keen to make a statement, especially with the World Cup Qualifiers looming large.
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The picturesque city of Antalya, a jewel of the Turkish Riviera, will serve as the backdrop for this exciting international friendly.
Russia squad
Goalkeepers: Matvey Safonov, Ilya Lantratov, Ilya Pomazun.
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Defenders: Roman Evgenyev, Alexander Soldatenkov, Yuri Gorshkov, Maxim Osipenko, Alexander Silyanov, Georgy Dzhikia, Sergey Volkov, Arsen Adamov, Evgeny Kharin, Artyom Makarchuk.
Midfielders: Dmitry Barinov, Anton Miranchuk, Sergey Pinyaev, Danil Glebov, Maxim Mukhin, Ivan Oblyakov, Daler Kuzyaev, Daniil Fomin, Alexey Miranchuk.
Forwards: Alexander Sobolev, Fedor Chalov, Ivan Sergeev.