Vitaly Mutko, former minister of sport, said ahead of the Confederations Cup which starts here on Saturday that Russia was "an open, democratic state. we have a lot of foreign players in different clubs" and that racism "is not a problem that is Russian".
Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the opener along with Federation Internationale de Football Association boss Gianni Infantino at Saint Petersburg's purpose-built World Cup 68,000-seater stadium.
However, it was Russian Federation who got the next goal in the 69th minute as Boxall failed to deal with Samedov's cross, which allowed Fyordor Smolov to tap into an empty net.
Russia's president was in the $750 million new stadium in his native St. Petersburg to see forward Fyodor Smolov's 69th minute goal add to an own goal by New Zealand defender Michael Boxall in the 31st.
"Even if we were playing the World Cup in New Zealand, we would have wanted to get out of the group".
The Socceroos will be out to get their Confederations Cup campaign off on the right note when they face Germany in Sochi on Tuesday.
The New Zealanders managed just two shots on goal.
Coach Joachim Loew has brought half a dozen newcomers into the team, resting several of his stalwarts including Manuel Neuer, Mesut Ozil, Marco Reus and Mats Hummels among others to have them fit for next year's tournament.
"If sanctions and education do not work then we have to take it further", said the Federation Internationale de Football Association official, who said it has prepared an anti-racism message from Diego Maradona to be revealed on Saturday.
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Putin had also asked the players to perform like warriors, though they hardly needed to be war-like in dispatching No. 95 New Zealand, which seemed to find the world stage too big. "Forward Fedor Smolov will try to terrorize the New Zealand defense from the opening whistle, with an early goal sure to calm any nerves for the home team".
"We are the absolute outsiders among the eight teams", Cherchesov said.
The June 17-July 2 tournament is effectively a scaled-down warm-up for the 2018 World Cup finals. A number of new players have been drafted into the squad with 21-year-old Aleksandr Golovin, Lokomotiv Moscow midfielder Aleksey Miranchuk, and Spartak Moscow defender Georgy Dzhikya all finding a place in the team.
"I think the first game is nearly a decider".
"The two games have been ideal for us", the 35-year-old with 17 All Whites caps said.
"When the president of your country comes out to make a speech this mobilizes us", Russian Federation coach Stanislav Cherchesov said through a translator.
Russia's interior ministry has blacklisted 292 fans, including 54 spectators who last month invaded the pitch at the Russia Cup final in Sochi, effectively banning them from attending official sporting events.
"If sanctions and education do not work then we have to take it further", said the Federation Internationale de Football Association official, who said it has prepared an anti-racism message from Diego Maradona to be revealed today.
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