Super Eagles land in Russia for friendly after Bissau shock

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have arrived in Russia for an international friendly on Tuesday, October 6, after their disappointing 3-0 loss to Guinea-Bissau.

Home-based players from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and backroom staff departed Abuja on Friday, while most foreign-based squad members are traveling directly to Russia from their respective club bases.

Head coach Éric Chelle did not return to Abuja with the team after the AFCON 2027 qualifier in Bissau and will join the squad directly in Moscow. Captain Wilfred Ndidi withdrew from the fixture, prompting Chelle to call up fresh replacements, including Vince Osuji and John Otomewo.

Chelle is using this match to test an experimental lineup featuring several uncapped players ahead of the U23 AFCON qualifiers scheduled for November. This is the second meeting between the two nations in recent years, after a 1-1 draw in June 2025 where Tolu Arokodare scored Nigeria’s equalizer.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will receive $600,000 in match fees for Tuesday’s encounter, half the $1.2 million payout collected for the 2025 friendly, which according to reports the players were not paid the appearance fees for that year.

The Tuesday’s fixture at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium gives the team a chance to test new depth and regain focus before competitive continental qualifiers resume.