Russian hitman tipped to add Super Eagles to list of victims

Russia striker Konstantin Tyukavin has been backed to continue his goalscoring form when his country face the Super Eagles in Tuesday’s international friendly.

The Dynamo Moscow forward has already found the net during the international break, and his agent believes Nigeria could be next on his growing list of victims.

Tyukavin scored in Russia’s emphatic 6-0 victory over Namibia on Saturday, continuing a strong run that has made him one of the players to watch ahead of the meeting with Nigeria.

The 22-year-old has also enjoyed an impressive start to the domestic campaign, registering four goals and one assist in seven league appearances for Dynamo Moscow.

His form was particularly evident before the international break when he scored twice in Dynamo’s 3-0 victory over Rostov, giving him another confidence boost before joining up with the national team.

Alexey Safonov, who represents the striker, believes Tyukavin’s job is straightforward whenever he steps onto the pitch.

“Tyukavin is playing well. The goal against Namibia isn't a good indicator; the next match against Nigeria, we'll see then,” Safonov told Euro Football.

Safonov insists a striker should be judged primarily by his ability to find the net, regardless of the quality of opposition standing in his way.

“A striker has to score: if his name is on the scoreboard, it means he's done a good job. He turned around well; the ball couldn't be taken away.”

The agent then backed his client to score against Nigeria, arguing that international forwards should approach every opponent with the same mentality.

“When playing for the national team, you have to try to score against everyone: Germany, Brazil, or a weaker team. I think he'll score against Nigeria too.”

That prediction will put Nigeria’s defence on alert ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, particularly after Tyukavin demonstrated his finishing ability against Namibia.

The Super Eagles will now have to find a way to contain a striker who arrives with confidence, recent goals and a representative determined to see him add another international victim to his tally.