Buoyed by their recent triumph at the four-nation Unity Cup in London, Nigeria’s Super Eagles are set to take on Russia’s national team—popularly called the Sbornaya (The Boys)—in an international friendly tonight night at the iconic 78,000-capacity Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
This encounter marks the first-ever official senior-level clash between the two nations. While Russia has been out of competitive action since February 2022, they’ve kept busy with a string of friendly matches.
Their most recent outing was a commanding 5-0 win over Zambia on March 25 at the VTB Arena, extending their unbeaten run in friendlies to eight matches.
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Nigeria, on the other hand, has enjoyed a strong start to 2025. They beat Rwanda 2-0 in Kigali in a World Cup qualifier on March 21, were held 1-1 by Zimbabwe four days later, and then edged Ghana 2-1 on May 28 before defeating Jamaica on penalties after a 2-2 draw on May 31 to lift the Unity Cup.
The history between both countries goes back to the Soviet era. At the 1985 FIFA World Youth Championship (now the FIFA U20 World Cup), the USSR beat Nigeria 2-1 in a group match in Minsk.
However, Nigeria got their revenge by clinching the bronze medal with a 3-1 penalty shootout win after a goalless draw in the third-place match held in Moscow.
Head coach Eric Chelle, who took charge earlier this year, is expected to field a determined squad aiming to preserve Nigeria’s unbeaten record and build momentum ahead of crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September.
Injuries and player withdrawals have slightly reshuffled Chelle’s team sheet, with top stars like African Player of the Year Ademola Lookman, talismanic striker Victor Osimhen, and AC Milan’s Samuel Chukwueze unavailable. Still, the core of the team remains intact.
Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye is likely to start between the posts, supported in defence by captain William Ekong, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Bruno Onyemaechi, Semi Ajayi, Igoh Ogbu, and Benjamin Fredericks.
Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm local time in Moscow (6pm Nigeria time).
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