Super Eagles motivated to beat Russia after Guinea-Bissau shocker — Eric Chelle

Nigeria will face the Russians in an international friendly on Tuesday, looking to restore pride after the shock AFCON qualifier loss that left them bottom of their group.

Chelle admitted the team will field a second-string side after several regular players were unavailable due to club restrictions.

“Some clubs don’t want the players to come. We have to manage the situation,” the Frenchman said at a press conference on Monday.

“We lost our last game, and the expectation for this game is to give the new players the opportunity to show what they can do.

“We are motivated. The players want to win, and they want to give their best for the jersey and the country.”

Reflecting on the Guinea-Bissau defeat, Chelle highlighted the need for greater intensity.

“This is not the same team. We lost the game against Guinea-Bissau because our intensity was not good. It’s going to be a different game,” he said.

“The Russian team also play with a lot of intensity. When they don’t have the ball, they are always aggressive. I want my team to play the same way too.

“If we play that way tomorrow, I will be very happy. I want to see a good game and a good performance from the players.”

This will be Nigeria's second meeting with Russia since the 1-1 draw in June 2025.