Russia head coach Valery Karpin has highlighted the strength of the Super Eagles ahead of their international friendly next month.
Sixteen months after the two countries faced off in Moscow, Russia will take on Nigeria in another high-profile friendly scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.
In their previous meeting, Tolu Arokodare’s 71st-minute strike cancelled out Semi Ajayi’s first-half own goal as both nations settled for an entertaining 1-1 draw in Moscow.
Nigeria are not the only opponents Russia will face during the upcoming international window, with the 2018 World Cup hosts also set to take on Iran and Namibia.
Karpin has already confirmed his final 29-man squad for the upcoming fixtures, with the Russia coach now looking forward to testing his team against highly ranked opposition.
According to the latest Fifa rankings, the Super Eagles are ranked 26th in the world, while Iran, Russia and Namibia occupy 22nd, 35th and 121st positions respectively.
Speaking to Russia Football Union's official website following the squad announcement, Karpin said: "Two worthy, strong opponents – Iran and Nigeria. Just look at the FIFA rankings. These teams are among the top 30. There's no need to talk about them much – we've all seen them.
"This will be our third game against Iran in a while, and our second against Nigeria. The level of these teams is clear. We're interested to see how we compare against such opponents.
"As for Namibia, based on the ranking, they're not at the same level as Iran and Nigeria. But they have to play against everyone, and it won't be easy.
"This was demonstrated at the World Cup, where Cape Verde went undefeated in regulation time."
The Super Eagles have enjoyed an impressive run since the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, winning three matches, drawing two and suffering just one defeat against a star-studded Portugal team featuring Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
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