Nigeria travels to Sovcombank Arena on Tuesday as they face Russia in their final match of this international break.
Eric Chelle’s men will look to end this window with a positive result after a shock defeat in their last match.
Russia vs Nigeria – Match preview and team news
- Date: Tuesday, 6th October.
- Kick-off: 5pm BST.
- Venue: Sovcombank Arena, Nizhniy Novgorod.
Russia team news
The Russian national team enters this home fixture in exceptional form and with a highly stable squad under manager Valery Karpin.
Goalkeeper Stanislav Agkatsev anchors a solid defensive unit that has enjoyed consistent game time together on home soil. Karpin has virtually a full squad at his disposal, allowing Russia to field a highly competitive and cohesive starting eleven.
For Russia, Konstantin Tyukavin is a strong candidate to start up front after managing 78 minutes in the victory over Iran, having previously come off the bench in the big win against Namibia.
In the outfield, Arsen Adamov, Viktor Melekhin, Artem Karpukas and Mingiyan Beveev are all likely to be involved in the starting XI.
Nigeria team news
Nigeria faces a severe selection crisis ahead of their international friendly against Russia, with head coach Eric Chelle left with a drastically depleted 18-man squad.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed that seven players have withdrawn from the camp due to a mix of injuries, travel complications, and club restrictions.
Wilfred Ndidi is officially ruled out after picking up a knock against Guinea-Bissau, while defender Victory Akpe and goalkeeper Maduka Okoye are also sidelined.
Compounding these absences, several European and Middle Eastern clubs blocked their players from travelling, including Eintracht Frankfurt withholding Raphael Onyedika, Birmingham City keeping Bright Osayi-Samuel, LASK FC blocking Moses Usor, and Al-Wahda holding back Ridwan Abdulrasaq Popoola.
Additionally, Slavia Prague’s Suleiman Mubarak missed out due to an unprocessed residence permit. On a positive note, forward Kelechi Iheanacho has rejoined the squad and is fully available.
Form
Russia
Russia enters this fixture in exceptional form, riding a strong wave of momentum in their recent friendlies. Sbornaya has registered dominant back-to-back home victories, crushing Namibia 6-0 and defeating Iran 2-0. Aside from a minor 1-0 slip against Egypt earlier in the year, Valery Karpin’s team has been highly clinical, picking up comfortable 3-0 wins over both Trinidad and Tobago and Burkina Faso to cement their formidable status.
Nigeria
Nigeria carries highly inconsistent form, struggling to find stability under head coach Eric Chelle. The Super Eagles recently suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat against Guinea-Bissau in their latest Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, following a narrow 2-1 victory over Madagascar. Their friendly campaign has yielded mixed results, featuring a 2-1 loss to Portugal, a 2-2 draw with Poland.
Predicted lineups
Russia: Agkatsev; Adamov, Melyokhin, Osipenko, Beveev; Karpukas, Prutsev, Umyarov; Miranchuk, Sadulayev, Tyukavin
Nigeria: Nwabali; James, Fernandez, Benjamin, Igboke; Onyeka, Nwoko, Michael; Simon, Akor, Iheanacho
How to watch Russia vs Nigeria
Digital platform M4STV has confirmed global streaming rights for the fixture.
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