Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report
Super Eagles whose egos were bruised by Guinea-Bissau’s Wild Dogs, in an AFCON 2027 qualifier in Bissau on Tuesday, jet out of Abuja yesterday to Moscow for an international friendly with Russia.
SCORENigeria reported yesterday that invited players from the domestic NPFL and Eagles backroom staff were on the flight to the Russian capital where the friendly is billed to hold on Tuesday, October 6.
It was learnt that Coach Eric Chelle, who did not return with the team from Guinea Bissau where they lost 3-0 to the hosts, will now join them directly in Russia.
Captain Wilfred Ndidi is one of the players who has since withdrawn from the friendly. The bulk of the call-ups will fly directly to Russia from their various bases, officials said.
Eric Chelle plans to run the rule on several players ahead of the U23 AFCON qualifiers in November.
In June 2025, the Super Eagles forced hosts Russia to a 1-1 draw thanks to an equaliser by striker Tolu Arokodare.
Meanwhile, Super Eagles will receive $600,000 as match fees for the international friendly with Russia. The Nigeria Football Federation under Ibrahim Gusau received $1.2 million for the earlier match, which is double what they will now get.
This may be so because the Super Eagles paraded Grade-A players for the first friendly, while for Tuesday’s rematch, Coach Chelle has assembled an experimental squad that include several uncapped players he hopes to observe at close quarters ahead of the qualifiers for the U23 AFCON in November.
However, despite the huge match fee the NFF received from the Russians last year, the players were reported not paid any appearance fee.