Former Lokomotiv Moscow President Nikolai Naumov has hit out at the Nigerian Football Federation over the absence of several key players from the Super Eagles squad ahead of their international friendly match against Russia on Friday, June 6, 2025, Footynaija.com reports.
A string of high-profile absentees means Nigeria will line up without key players like Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, William Troost-Ekong, Alex Iwobi, Ola Aina and Calvin Bassey.
Additionally, stars who featured prominently during Nigeria’s recent Unity Cup triumph including Samuel Chukwueze, Cyriel Dessers, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Nathan Tella have also pulled out due to various reasons.
Naumov, never one to mince words, vented his frustration about the depleted Super Eagles squad, calling for greater accountability from the Nigerian Football Federation.
What Nikolai Naumov said about the Super Eagles
“The non-arrival of key players of the Nigerian national team for the match with Russia is very bad,” he said in quotes revealed by Championat.
“When we agree with any national team in the current conditions, we incur significant expenses for flights, accommodation, etc.”
“We must clearly indicate what lineup the opponent should have. Only the strongest players are needed, except for force majeure: injuries or other emergencies.
“When the Nigerian national team agrees to such a match, the management must discuss this issue with their players in advance.”
With Nigeria’s squad lacking many of its top-tier stars, Naumov questioned the point of the fixture. “And now they will bring beach footballers. Do we need this? The Nigerian team will only have a name. As a result, we will not get the opponent we want.”
Despite the frustrations, he acknowledged the quality of the available Super Eagles players, many of whom ply their trade in European leagues, and admitted that Russia should not expect an easy game.
“It is unlikely that the Russian team will have a crushing victory over Nigeria, because even in this squad there are many footballers who play in Europe. The opponent is strong, but our guys must win.”
When is kick-off?
The match between Russia and Nigeria will kick-off on Friday, June 6, by 6:00 PM local time (4:00 PM GMT) at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
