Eric Chelle joins the squad after staying away from Nigeria following the Guinea-Bissau defeat, with first time invitees set to feature.
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The Super Eagles arrived in Moscow on Friday ahead of Tuesday’s international friendly against Russia, according to team officer Promise Efoghe. The match will be played at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, with kick off at 6pm Nigerian time.
Eric Chelle will use the game to assess a reshaped squad of 24 players. Several players are in line to make their senior debuts, including Ikorodu City’s Michael Atata and Aderemi Adeoye.
Squad Changes
Captain Wilfred Ndidi has withdrawn, and the reason hasn’t been confirmed. Victory Akpe also dropped out, and John Otomewo and Vince Osuji were called up as replacements.
Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi are not in the Russia squad, so the group looks very different from the one used in the qualifiers. First time senior invitees include Samuel James, Stephen Michael, Ridwan Abdulrasaq and Peter Edokpolor. Fans who like predicting results can try Super9ja for free on Bet9ja.
Kelechi Iheanacho returns after missing the qualifiers, and Moses Simon, Akor Adams and Benjamin Fredrick are among the foreign based players expected to join camp on Friday. The coaching staff and NPFL based players left Nigeria on Thursday evening, and seven players had reached the Moscow camp by Friday.
Chelle’s Situation
Chelle did not return to Nigeria with the squad after the 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau and is expected to meet up with the team in Russia. The friendly is a chance to reset after the loss.
Anyone tracking Nigeria’s friendly can check YOHAIG’s Bet9ja offer for new bettors before kick-off. The Super Eagles also have a November double-header against Tanzania to come.
About Russia
Russia and Nigeria last met on June 6, 2025, drawing 1-1 at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. The match is only the second meeting between the sides at full international level.
Russia are coached by Valery Karpin and have won their last three games. They remain suspended from UEFA competitions, so friendlies are a main source of matches.
New bettors following the match can read Bet9ja’s bonus code primer first. Can an experimental Nigeria side find its rhythm in Nizhny Novgorod?
📌 Did You Know?
- The Nizhny Novgorod Stadium holds about 44,000 people and was a venue at the 2018 World Cup.
- Chelle’s original squad included players based in Germany, England, Denmark, Norway and the UAE.
- Eight players from the qualifying campaign were in the original squad.
- Ndidi had played in both of Nigeria’s qualifiers, against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
- Iheanacho comes into the squad in form for Bursaspor.
