Russia Friendly: Club Restrictions, Injuries Weaken Super Eagles

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will face Russia in Tuesday’s international friendly with a depleted squad after a combination of club restrictions and injuries ruled out several key players.

Captain Wilfred Ndidi is unavailable after sustaining a minor knock during Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying defeat by Guinea-Bissau last week.

Midfielder Raphael Onyedika was also prevented from travelling by his German club, Eintracht Frankfurt, while defender Bright Osayi-Samuel and UAE-based midfielder Ridwan Abdulrasaq Popoola were similarly withheld by their respective clubs.

Switzerland-based defender Victory Akpe has also been ruled out after picking up an injury.

Moses Usor, who scored on his Nigeria debut in the 2-1 victory over Madagascar in Uyo on September 25, was initially not included in the squad for the Russia trip.

However, after head coach Éric Chelle called him up, his Austrian club, LASK, informed the player that he could not travel to Russia.

Another late setback involved Suleiman Mubarak, who was invited from Slavia Prague in Czechia but could not make the trip because his residence permit had not been secured.

The series of withdrawals has left Chelle with a significantly weakened squad for the encounter against Russia, with both sides meeting again 16 months after playing out a 1-1 draw at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium.

Late invitee Ibraheem Ajasa of Russian club FC Rostov was expected to join the Super Eagles’ camp in Nizhny Novgorod on Sunday evening, potentially taking the number of available players to 19.

18 Super Eagles in Russia

Goalkeepers: Michael Atata (Ikorodu City); Samuel James (SJK FC, Finland); Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa).

Defenders: Kenneth Igboke (Enugu Rangers); Isaac James (Alverca FC, Portugal); Benjamin Fredricks (Brentford, England); Emmanuel Fernandez (Rangers, Scotland); Abdullahi Bewene (FC Banik Ostrava, Czechia).

Midfielders: Chibuzo Nwoke (Fulham, England); Stephen Michael (Vendsyssel FF, Denmark); Igor Wilfred (Kristiansund, Norway); Aderemi Adeoye (Ikorodu City).

Forwards: Kelechi Iheanacho (Bursaspor, Türkiye); Moses Simon (Paris FC, France); Akor Adams (Venezia, Italy); Peter Edokpolor (Benfica, Portugal); Abubakar Umar (Famalicão, Portugal); Abdullahi Umar (Hradec Králové, Czechia).

Despite the absences, the Russia friendly will provide Chelle with an opportunity to assess several players and experiment with his squad as preparations continue for Nigeria’s forthcoming competitive fixtures.