Super Eagles Face Russia in Friendly as Chelle Tests New-Look Squad

The Super Eagles of Nigeria return to action today when they face Russia in an international friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 5pm Nigerian time and will give coach Eric Chelle another opportunity to assess his squad ahead of Nigeria’s upcoming competitive fixtures.

Nigeria enter the encounter looking to recover from a difficult international window. The Super Eagles opened their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Madagascar before suffering a 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their second qualifier.

Chelle has selected a reshaped squad for the Russia friendly, with several less-established players handed an opportunity to stake their claim. Experienced players including goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali and forward Kelechi Iheanacho are also back in the team.

Iheanacho could feature in attack alongside Moses Simon and Akor Adams as Nigeria look for greater attacking threat against the hosts.

However, the Super Eagles will be without several regular starters. Ola Aina, Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze and Victor Osimhen are among those reported to be unavailable, while additional withdrawals have further reduced Chelle’s options.

Russia head into the match with confidence after recording convincing victories in their October fixtures. They defeated Iran 2-0 before thrashing Namibia 6-0, scoring eight goals without conceding in the two matches.

Russia coach Valery Karpin is expected to make several changes to his starting lineup following the emphatic win over Namibia.

Nigeria and Russia have met only once at senior international level. Their previous encounter, played in Moscow in June 2025, ended in a 1-1 draw, with Tolu Arokodare scoring Nigeria’s equaliser.

Although the friendly offers no competitive points, the match provides Chelle with an important opportunity to assess his options, test emerging players and work on preparations for Nigeria’s next competitive assignments.

The Super Eagles will be hoping to produce a more convincing display against a Russian side that has shown strong attacking form in its recent matches.