Related Post
Nigeria’s Super Eagles are set to face Russia in an international friendly on June 6, the Russian Football Union (RFU) has confirmed, Soccernet.football reports.
The friendly between the two nations has been organised despite Russia’s ongoing suspension from global football by FIFA and UEFA.
The RFU announced the fixture on Thursday as part of a series of friendly matches scheduled for upcoming FIFA international windows. In addition to Nigeria, Russia will also play Zambia in March and Belarus on June 10. The exact venues and kickoff times for the matches have yet to be determined.
A statement on the RFU’s official website read:
“The Russian Football Union has reached agreements with the football federations of Zambia, Nigeria, and Belarus to hold friendly matches during the next FIFA windows. In March, Valery Karpin’s team will face Zambia in Moscow, with the specific venue and kickoff time to be announced later.
“On June 6, the Russian national team will host Nigeria, and on June 10, they will play an away fixture against Belarus. Details regarding the locations and start times of these matches will be provided in due course.”
The statement also highlighted Nigeria’s recent performance and squad strength, describing the Super Eagles as one of Africa’s elite teams:
“The Nigerian national team is currently ranked 44th in the FIFA world rankings. Last year, they reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, where they were narrowly beaten 2-1 by hosts Ivory Coast. The core of the Nigerian squad features players competing in some of Europe’s top leagues, including England, Spain, Italy, and Germany.”
Despite the RFU’s announcement, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has not yet officially confirmed the fixture. While Russia continues to arrange friendly matches, their international status remains uncertain due to ongoing FIFA and UEFA bans.
The ban was imposed in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, effectively barring the national team and clubs from participating in FIFA and UEFA-sanctioned competitions.
However, Russia has continued to play friendly matches outside FIFA’s jurisdiction, facing teams such as Belarus, Thailand, Brunei, and Syria between September and November last year.
With Russia’s suspension still in place, the upcoming matches raise questions over FIFA’s stance on nations engaging in fixtures with the banned country.
The Super Eagles, fresh off their strong showing at the AFCON, would be one of the highest-profile teams to face Russia since their ban began.
As of now, the NFF has yet to comment on whether Nigeria will honour the fixture, leaving the fate of the encounter uncertain.
