RismadarVoice Reporters
September 9, 2026
Nigeria’s Super Eagles will face Russia in an international friendly match on October 6 at the 44,000-capacity Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, 16 months after both teams played out a 1-1 draw in Moscow.
The fixture was confirmed by Nigeria’s FIFA Match Agent, Jairo Pachon of Eurodatasports, and will mark the second meeting between the two nations within a short period.
In their previous encounter at the Luzhniki Stadium in June 2025, Russia took the lead after Semi Ajayi scored an own goal, before Tolu Arokodare equalised for Nigeria in the second half.
The upcoming friendly will come shortly after Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures. The Super Eagles are scheduled to begin their campaign against Madagascar on September 25 before travelling to Bissau to face Guinea-Bissau on September 29.
The match against Russia is expected to provide head coach Eric Chelle with an opportunity to further assess his squad ahead of future international competitions.
Nigeria are currently ranked 26th in the FIFA world rankings, while Russia occupy the 35th position. The Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, venue for the encounter, hosted matches during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The Super Eagles are continuing to arrange international friendlies after failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Recent matches have included a 2-2 draw against Poland and a 2-1 defeat to Portugal.
