Highly-Changed Super Eagles Face Russia in Nizhny Novgorod Friendly

Posted : 06 October 2026

The Super Eagles will face Russia in an international friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday, with Eric Chelle set to field a heavily changed Nigeria side. The match gives several fringe players and newcomers an opportunity to make a case for regular places in the national team.

Nigeria's squad has been weakened by injuries and club restrictions. Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Ademola Lookman, Calvin Bassey and Samuel Chukwueze are among the established players unavailable for the fixture, while Bright Osayi-Samuel has also been ruled out.

Chelle has therefore turned to a mixture of experienced players, fringe internationals and late additions. Stanley Nwabali, Moses Simon, Akor Adams, Benjamin Fredrick and returning forward Kelechi Iheanacho are among the more familiar names in the squad, while several less-established players could also feature.

The Super Eagles completed their final training session at the 45,000-capacity Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Monday. The encounter is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Nigerian time, according to the match build-up from Nigerian reports.

Nigeria enter the game seeking a response after a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. The result followed a 2-1 victory over Madagascar, leaving Chelle under pressure to produce a stronger performance against Russia.

Akor Adams said the players understand the need to respond positively. He added that the team wants to give Nigerians both a good performance and a positive result.

Russia will provide a difficult test after an impressive start to the October international window. Valery Karpin's side defeated Iran 2-0 before recording a 6-0 victory over Namibia, extending their winning run to four matches.

Nigeria have some recent experience against Russia. The teams drew 1-1 in Moscow in June 2025, with Russia taking the lead through a Semi Ajayi own goal before Tolu Arokodare equalised in the 71st minute.

Iheanacho is also expected to bring valuable experience to the reshaped squad. The Bursaspor forward has stressed his long-standing commitment to the national team, having represented Nigeria from youth level through to the Super Eagles.

For Chelle, the friendly offers more than an opportunity to recover from the Guinea-Bissau defeat. It gives the coach a chance to assess players outside his preferred group before Nigeria's next competitive assignments and identify options for the future.

Highly-Changed Super Eagles Face Russia in Nizhny Novgorod Friendly

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