Super Eagles to Take on Russia in October Friendly

Nigeria are set to face Russia again, with the two sides lined up for an international friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. It will be their first meeting in 16 months.

The fixture was confirmed on Tuesday through the Nigeria Football Federation's official account, with Nigeria's FIFA Match Agent, Jairo Pachon of Eurodatasports, also backing up the news.

The two teams last met on June 6, 2025, at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, in a game that ended 1-1. Russia took the lead in the first half after Super Eagles defender Semi Ajayi turned the ball into his own net, but Tolu Arokodare pulled Nigeria level in the second half.

This time around, the friendly comes right after a busy start to Nigeria's 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. Eric Chelle's side kick things off against Madagascar on Friday, September 25, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo. Four days later, they head to Bissau to take on Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday, September 29.

The Russia clash is set for exactly one week after that Guinea-Bissau game, giving Nigeria a quick turnaround from competitive qualifiers straight into another test on the road.