Super Eagles of Nigeria
Super Eagles of Nigeria held Russia’s Sbornaya to a thrilling 1-1 draw in a friendly match at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Friday night.
Despite missing key players, including Victor Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze, the three-time African champions showed grit and courage to earn a point against a strong Russian side.
Chelle praises team’s resilience
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle praised his team’s resilience, saying, “We made lots of changes to the squad, and our usual pressing game was a bit difficult because the new players are yet to fully understand how we want to play.
“So, we need to keep working on our playing pattern and try to find balance.”
Chelle admitted that the match was tough against a strong opponent, saying, “Russia has a good team with lots of pressure and technical qualities.
We did not play well in the first half, but we were better in the second half with our pressing, and that made the difference for us.”
Arokodare’s debut goal
Substitute Tolu Arokodare scored his first goal for Nigeria in the 71st minute, slotting into the far corner after the Russian defenders passed among themselves.
The goal earned Nigeria a well-deserved point, keeping their unbeaten record intact in 2025.
World Cup qualifiers ahead
The result sets the stage for Nigeria’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying games against Rwanda and South Africa in three months’ time.
The Super Eagles will host Rwanda’s Amavubi in the first week of September before flying out to Johannesburg to face group leaders Bafana Bafana.
