Nigeria to face Russia in October international friendly

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will face Russia in an international friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday, 6 October 2026.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced the fixture on Tuesday, describing it as the second meeting between the two nations in 16 months.

“The Super Eagles will face Russia in a friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday, October 6, 2026,” the NFF said in a statement on its official X account.

“It will be the second meeting between both nations in 16 months. The fixture has been confirmed by Nigeria’s FIFA Match Agent, Jairo Pachon of Eurodatasports.”

Russia have been excluded from official FIFA and UEFA competitions since their invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and have instead relied on international friendlies to maintain regular competitive activity.

The Russians have arranged matches against several national teams during that period, including opponents from Africa.

The October fixture will provide both Nigeria and Russia with an opportunity to assess their squads and give players valuable international experience ahead of their respective upcoming commitments.