Kelechi Iheanacho joins Super Eagles in Russia as Chelle reshapes squad for friendly

Kelechi Iheanacho has reported for Super Eagles duty in Russia as Nigeria begins preparations for its international friendly against the hosts on October 6.

Iheanacho was among the early arrivals after the Nigerian delegation landed in Russia on Friday ahead of the fixture at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.

The experienced forward has returned to the national team after being recalled for the friendly, adding another attacking option to head coach Éric Chelle’s squad.

Moses Simon, Benjamin Fredrick, Akor Adams, Emmanuel Fernandez and Popoola Abdulrasaq have also joined the team as the Super Eagles settle into camp for the final stages of their preparations.

The Russia friendly comes shortly after Nigeria opened its 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with contrasting results against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.

Chelle forced into late changes

Nigeria began the qualifiers with a 2-1 victory over Madagascar in Uyo but suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in Bissau in their second outing.

Chelle will now use the Russia fixture to assess his options and potentially give opportunities to players who were not involved, while also working on areas exposed during the opening qualifying matches.

The coach, however, has been forced to alter his squad after captain Wilfred Ndidi and defender Akpe Victory withdrew from the assignment.

The reason for Ndidi’s withdrawal has not been officially disclosed, while Victory will miss the trip after sustaining an injury during training.

The Nigeria Football Federation responded by drafting in two replacements to complete Chelle’s squad for the friendly.

Two players eye international debuts

Tromsø defender Vince Osuji has been called up to replace Victory, while Stade Reims midfielder John Otomewo has been brought in for Ndidi.

The changes give both players an opportunity to make their senior international debuts when Nigeria face Russia.

Osuji and Otomewo will be hoping to use the fixture to make a strong first impression on Chelle as the coach continues to assess the depth of his squad.

Ndidi’s absence also means Simon has become the most senior player in the current group.

The experienced winger is set to provide leadership within a squad that includes several players seeking to establish themselves under Chelle.

Nigeria renew Russia rivalry

For Iheanacho, the fixture offers an opportunity to make his return count after earning another invitation to the national team.

His presence gives Chelle an experienced forward to consider as Nigeria seeks a stronger attacking display following the defeat in Bissau.

The Super Eagles will also be familiar with their opponents, having faced Russia in Moscow just 16 months ago.

That meeting ended 1-1 in June 2025, setting up another encounter between the two nations when they meet at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.

The October 6 fixture therefore provides Chelle with another competitive test outside the AFCON qualifiers and a chance to assess his squad ahead of Nigeria’s next major assignments.

With Iheanacho and several other early arrivals already in camp, attention now turns to how Chelle will use the friendly to examine his options and respond to the lessons from Nigeria’s mixed start to the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.