Russia vs Nigeria: Kick-off time, venue, and where to watch Super Eagles bounce back from Guinea-Bissau loss

The Super Eagles will look to end a mixed international break on a positive note when they face Russia in Tuesday’s friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.

Eric Chelle’s side beat Madagascar 2-1 before suffering a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau, leaving Nigeria eager to regain momentum against the Sbornaya.

Nigeria and Russia will meet at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday, October 6, with kick-off scheduled for 5:00pm Nigerian time (17:00 GMT+1).

The fixture gives Chelle another opportunity to assess his squad ahead of the Super Eagles’ return to competitive action, while supporters will be keen to see how Nigeria responds after their heavy defeat to Guinea-Bissau.

The friendly is expected to be available to fans through streaming and broadcast platforms covering the fixture.

Supporters will be particularly interested in the game after Nigeria’s inconsistent results during the international break, with the Russia clash offering one final chance to end the period with a positive result.

The Russia game comes at a useful point for Chelle as he continues to assess new and domestic players ahead of the Super Eagles’ next competitive fixtures.

Nigeria and Russia last met in June 2025, with the Super Eagles earning a 1-1 draw at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. Russia took the lead through a Semi Ajayi own goal before Toluwalase Arokodare capitalised on a poor back pass to score his first goal for Nigeria in the 71st minute.

Chelle will hope for another strong performance from his players, particularly after the Guinea-Bissau setback.

Maduka Okoye will play no part in the Russia friendly, while Kelechi Iheanacho is expected to return to the starting line-up after missing the recent AFCON qualifiers.

The Bursaspor forward has enjoyed an impressive spell in Turkey, scoring 11 goals in eight appearances, and could lead an attack also featuring Moses Simon and Akor Adams.

Chelle will, however, be without several regulars. Wilfred Ndidi has withdrawn through injury, while Eintracht Frankfurt refused to release Raphael Onyedika for the fixture.

Nigeria are also without Okoye, who was not initially invited after failing to feature against Madagascar or Guinea-Bissau.

Benjamin Fredricks and Emmanuel Fernandez are expected to form the centre-back partnership, with Abdullahi Bewene and Isaac James potentially occupying the full-back positions.

In midfield, Chelle could turn to Ikorodu City’s Aderemi Adeoye alongside Kristiansund’s Igor Wilfred and Vendsyssel’s Stephen Michael.

Nigeria have received a timely boost with Russia set to be without two important players.

Aleksandr Golovin has been ruled out after suffering an ankle injury, while Krasnodar striker Dmitry Vorobyov has also left the Russian camp.

However, Dynamo Moscow forward Konstantin Tyukavin remains a major threat after scoring in Russia’s 6-0 victory over Namibia.

The striker has been backed by his agent to score against Nigeria, having also registered four goals and one assist in seven league appearances this season.

After the Russia friendly, the Super Eagles will turn their attention back to competitive football and their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

Nigeria are scheduled to face Tanzania in a double-header in November, with the fixtures set for November 11 and 15.

The Russia game therefore represents an important final opportunity for Chelle to test his options before preparations intensify for those qualifiers.