Former Spartak Moscow midfielder Valery Kechinov has warned Russia to expect a difficult test when they face Nigeria in their international friendly on Tuesday, despite the likely absence of several key Super Eagles players.
The Super Eagles head into the encounter on the back of a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their second match of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
However, Nigeria will be without several key players, including Wilfred Ndidi, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Raphael Onyedika, who have withdrawn from the squad for different reasons.
Speaking to Euro-Football, Kechinov believes Nigeria still possess enough quality in their second-string squad to provide strong opposition to Russia.
The former Spartak Moscow midfielder also dismissed the possibility of Russia securing another comfortable victory similar to their 6-0 triumph over Namibia on Saturday.
“It's unlikely we'll see a rout. Their star players will likely be missing, but Nigeria still has a strong second string,” Kechinov said.
He also described the Super Eagles as a team that continues to attract significant attention despite their failure to qualify for the World Cup.
“They're a team with a lot of buzz. They may have missed the World Cup, but they're a solid team. They'll offer us a completely different kind of resistance,” he concluded.
The Super Eagles will face Russia at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday as they look to return to winning ways following their disappointing defeat to Guinea-Bissau.
Adeyemi Adewale
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