At first Nepomnyashchy would struggle with the French language and had to use an interpreter, however he would eventually get his message across on what he wanted his team to do and they would qualify for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Drawn in Group B they unexpectedly beat reigning champions Argentina as well as Romania to book their place within the last 16. After beating Colombia 2-1 in extra-time Cameroon eventually lost to England in the Quarter-Finals. While he was offered an extension to his contract, Nepomnyashchy decided to leave the team after his contract expired to take on a more lucrative position with the Chinese Football Association as a technical consultant.