The Super Eagles have arrived in Russia ahead of Tuesday’s international friendly against the hosts, with head coach Éric Chelle making two late changes to his squad after captain Wilfred Ndidi withdrew from the game.
The Nigerian delegation left Abuja on Thursday and landed at Nizhny Novgorod International Airport on Friday, with the bulk of the invited players travelling directly to Russia from their respective bases.
Midfielder John Otomewo, who recently joined French Ligue 2 side Stade de Reims from Israeli club Hapoel Jerusalem, and Tromsø defender Vince Chijioke Osuji have been called up as replacements for Ndidi and Akpe Victory respectively, putting both players in line for their senior international debuts.
The reason for Ndidi’s withdrawal has not been officially disclosed, while Akpe, who was handed his first senior call-up for the fixture, is also unavailable.
The friendly, scheduled for the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday, October 6, with kick-off at 6:00pm Nigerian time, gives Chelle another chance to assess his squad options after Nigeria opened their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 2-1 win over Madagascar in Uyo before a 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in Bissau.
Nigeria and Russia last met in June 2025, with the Super Eagles holding the hosts to a 1-1 draw at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, and Chelle’s men will be targeting a positive result once again as preparations continue for the November qualifiers.
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