Eagles gear up for friendly against Russia as 17 players train

The Super Eagles are getting ready for their friendly match against Russia on Saturday. Seventeen players took part in the first training session in Nizhny Novgorod.

The group included Moses Simon, who has 101 caps, goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, defenders Benjamin Fredrick and Emmanuel Fernandez, and forwards Kelechi Iheanacho and Akor Adams. Popoola Abdulrasaq is also in the camp.

The team will hold two more training sessions on Sunday and Monday before facing the Russian national team at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday evening. The stadium can hold 44,000 fans and was built for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Players and officials arrived in Russia on Friday. They took Turkish Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines flights through Istanbul and Addis Ababa, landed in Moscow, and then flew to Nizhny Novgorod.

Head coach Éric Chelle is using this October window to work with his squad. This follows their first two matches in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. The Super Eagles won 2-1 against Madagascar in Uyo on September 25 but lost 3-0 to Guinea-Bissau on September 29.

Franculino Dju, Mama Balde, and Alvaro Djalo scored for Guinea-Bissau, who lead Group L with six points, three ahead of Nigeria. This loss marked the Super Eagles’ first defeat by three goals against African teams since they lost 5-1 to Algeria at the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations. Only one spot is left in the group as Tanzania has already qualified as co-hosts.

The squad has changed a bit. Captain Wilfred Ndidi had to pull out of the game, while Victory Akpe is out due to an injury from training. John Otomewo and Vince Osuji have been called up as replacements.

The friendly gives Chelle a chance to work with the players without the stress of qualifying matches. Nigeria is ranked 26th in the world, nine spots higher than Russia, who are in 35th place. The Super Eagles also did not qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Tuesday’s game will be the second senior match between Nigeria and Russia. The first was a friendly at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on June 6, 2025, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Russia took the lead when defender Semi Ajayi accidentally scored an own goal. Tolu Arokodare equalized for Nigeria. Russia had 58 percent of the ball and 10 shots compared to Nigeria’s six. Since February 2022, Russia has been suspended from FIFA and UEFA competitions and has filled their international windows with friendlies. The Super Eagles will be aiming for a better result on Tuesday, October 6.