NGA Vs RUS: Match Preview, Kick Off Time And Head To Head Record

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will take on Russia in an international friendly on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, with the encounter scheduled to take place at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Russia.

According to a report by ESPN on Monday, October 5, 2026, the upcoming fixture will be the second senior international meeting between Nigeria and Russia. Their first encounter took place in Moscow in June 2025 and ended in a 1-1 draw.

The Super Eagles will be hoping to use the friendly as an opportunity to return to winning ways after a difficult start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. Nigeria opened Group L with an impressive 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in Uyo but were later beaten 3-0 by Guinea-Bissau in Bissau on September 29.

The clash with Russia gives head coach Eric Chelle another chance to examine his squad, test different tactical options and give opportunities to some players ahead of Nigeria’s next competitive matches.

Chelle named a 24-man squad for the encounter, with a number of players receiving their first senior national team call-ups. The squad includes Stanley Nwabali, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Benjamin Fredricks, Raphael Onyedika, Kelechi Iheanacho, Moses Simon and Akor Adams.

However, there have been changes to the squad following the withdrawals of Wilfred Ndidi and Victory Akpe. Vince Osuji and John Otomewo were subsequently brought in as replacements.

Nigeria will also be without several key players for the encounter. Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze, Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi and Bruno Onyemaechi are among the established players unavailable for the friendly.

Russia, on the other hand, will be looking to take advantage of playing on home soil. The hosts have also been involved in international friendly action recently, including a meeting with Namibia, before preparing for the Super Eagles.

The international friendly between Nigeria and Russia will be played on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.

The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00pm local time in Russia, which corresponds to 5:00pm in Nigeria.

The Nizhny Novgorod Stadium can accommodate around 44,000 spectators and was one of the stadiums used during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Nigeria and Russia have only met once previously at senior international level.

That meeting took place on June 6, 2025, at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. Russia took the lead after Nigeria defender Semi Ajayi inadvertently put the ball into his own net.

The Super Eagles responded in the second half, with Tolu Arokodare finding the equaliser to ensure that the encounter finished 1-1.

As a result, neither Nigeria nor Russia has defeated the other in their senior international meetings.

The current head-to-head record stands at:

Tuesday’s encounter will therefore represent only the second senior international meeting between the two nations. Both teams will be aiming to change the record by securing their first victory in the fixture.

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