Nigeria vs Russia: Super Eagles Confirmed for Exciting October International Friendly

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that the Super Eagles of Nigeria will face Russia in an international friendly scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Russia.

The encounter is expected to provide head coach Eric Chelle with another opportunity to assess his players ahead of future international competitions and strengthen the team’s preparations for upcoming assignments.

Before the Russia fixture, the Super Eagles are scheduled to begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign with a home match against Madagascar on September 25. Nigeria will then travel to Bissau to take on Guinea-Bissau on September 29 in their second Group C qualifying fixture.

The Nigeria Football Federation announced the Russia friendly on Tuesday, describing it as the second meeting between both countries within 16 months. The federation also confirmed that the fixture had been approved through Nigeria’s FIFA Match Agent, Jairo Pachon of Eurodatasports.

Nigeria and Russia previously met in an international friendly on June 6, 2025, at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, with both teams settling for a 1-1 draw.

Russia took the lead after Nigeria defender Semi Ajayi inadvertently put the ball into his own net, but forward Tolu Arokodare later restored parity for the Super Eagles in the second half.

Russia enjoyed a greater share of possession during the encounter and registered more attempts on goal, while Nigeria fought back to secure a draw.

The upcoming friendly will mark another opportunity for both nations to test their squads. Russia has remained outside official FIFA and UEFA competitions since 2022 but has continued to play international friendly matches.

The Super Eagles currently occupy 26th position in the FIFA world rankings, while Russia are ranked 35th