Éric Chelle's Tactical Shift Leads Super Eagles to Draw with Russia

Head coach Éric Chelle credited a tactical adjustment involving the strikers for the Super Eagles' comeback in a friendly match against Russia, which ended in a 3-3 draw. Nigeria initially took the lead with Kelechi Iheanacho scoring in the 10th minute at the Nizhny Novgorod stadium.

However, Russia responded with goals from Lechi Sadulaev, Matvey Kislyak, and Aleksey Miranchuk, putting them ahead 3-1. Chelle acknowledged that Russia had the upper hand during critical moments, particularly around half-time.

The Super Eagles rallied back, with Peter Edokpolor scoring in the 78th minute and Akor Adams equalizing in stoppage time, assisted by Abdullahi Umar. Chelle expressed satisfaction with his team's performance in the second half, especially after a previous 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau, which left Nigeria second in Group L of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with three points.

This match marked the second draw between Nigeria and Russia, following a 1-1 result in June 2025.