Russia welcome African nation Nigeria on Friday evening to Luzhniki Stadium for a friendly affair in what will be the first ever senior encounter between both nations.
While the Europeans enjoyed victory in their last outing in March, the Super Eagles's most recent outing came over the weekend when they defeated Jamaica on penalties to lift the Unity Cup.
Match preview
© Imago
Excluded from competitive action since February 2022, Russia have found a way to remain active on the international scene by staging a string of friendlies to keep their rhythm intact.
Their last official outing dates back to 2021 against Croatia and since the invasion of Ukraine that saw them suspended from global tournaments, the national team have focused largely on exhibition matches against nations outside Europe and the West.
The most recent of such came in March when Sbornaya swept aside Zambia in a commanding 5-0 performance to stretch their winning run to eight matches on the bounce.
Indeed, these games have felt like routine strolls for Russia, who have racked up a staggering 45 goals without conceding once during that stretch, but with Nigeria now lined up as arguably their sternest test in a while, the real measure of their current strength could finally be revealed.
Nigeria arrive in Moscow on the back of a six-game unbeaten run across all competitions, having recorded three wins, two draws and a penalty shootout triumph in their latest outing.
After edging arch rivals Ghana 2-1 in the first leg of their Unity Cup double-header, the Super Eagles followed that up with a 2-2 draw against Jamaica before holding their nerve from the spot to be crowned champions of the mini-series.
This fixture now presents an opportunity to sharpen up before September's crunch qualifiers, with Eric Chelle's men needing a near flawless run in their final four World Cup qualifying matches after collecting just seven points from their opening six.
The Super Eagles currently sit fourth in their group and trail leaders South Africa by six points, with decisive double-headers against Rwanda and South Africa to come, followed by matches against Lesotho and Benin Republic after this friendly.
Team News
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The Russian squad for this international features several notable names including goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, who recently won the UEFA Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain.
A similar lineup to the one that demolished Zambia is expected, with Nikolay Komlichenko once again tipped to lead the line for the hosts.
Nigeria, on the other hand, will take to the pitch on Friday with a reshuffled pack following several withdrawals and injuries that forced major alterations to Eric Chelle's original list.
First-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali was excused from the squad due to burial rites for his late parents, meaning Udinese's Maduka Okoye should step in to take his place between the sticks.
Right-back Ola Aina of Nottingham Forest has withdrawn from the squad, while influential midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is also unavailable for selection on this occasion.
The attacking line is also short of firepower following the withdrawal of former Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho and AC Milan winger Samuel Chukwueze due to family reasons.
However, the camp received a timely boost with the arrival of team captain William Ekong and Fenerbahce full-back Bright Osayi-Samuel, both of whom joined up with the squad in Moscow earlier in the week.
Russia possible starting lineup:
Maksimenko; Vakhaniya, Diveev, Osipenko, Krugovoy; Komarov, Chernikov, Miranchuk; Guishenkov, Komlichenko, Mostovoy
Nigeria possible starting lineup:
Okoye; Onyemaechi, Ajayi, Ekong, Osayi; Onyedika, Onyeka, Dele-Bashiru; Boniface, Desserts, M. Simon
We say: Russia 2-1 Nigeria
Russia come into this encounter riding a wave of momentum and although this should be far more competitive than their previous home fixtures, the advantage of familiar surroundings could tilt the balance just enough in their favour.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
