Super Eagles to Face Russia in International Friendly on October 6

The Super Eagles of Nigeria are set to face Russia in an international friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday, October 6.

The encounter will come shortly after Nigeria begins its 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign, making the friendly an opportunity for head coach Eric Chelle to assess his squad against another strong opponent.

Nigeria will open its AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign at home against Madagascar’s Barea on Friday, September 25, before travelling to Bissau to face Guinea-Bissau’s Wild Dogs on Tuesday, September 29.

The Russia friendly will therefore be played exactly one week after the Guinea-Bissau fixture.

The upcoming meeting will also be a rematch of the two nations’ previous encounter in Moscow on June 6, 2025. That match ended in a 1-1 draw, with Russia taking the lead through a first-half own goal by Nigerian defender Semi Ajayi before striker Tolu Arokodare equalised for the Super Eagles in the second half.

Nigeria currently sits 26th in the FIFA world rankings, while Russia is ranked 35th, setting the stage for another competitive meeting between the two sides.

The October friendly is expected to provide Chelle with another opportunity to test his players and fine-tune his team as Nigeria continues preparations for upcoming international competitions.