Russia 3-3 Super Eagles: Player ratings – Iheanacho, Edokpolor shine; Isaac James struggles

The Super Eagles of Nigeria left it late against Russia at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium as Valery Karpin’s men fell to a late goal on home turf.

Eric Chelle’s men took the lead inside ten minutes, courtesy of Iheanacho’s curler to beat Aleksandar Maksimenko.

The Green and Whites sat back as Russia held the lion’s share of possession and were eventually punished in the 30th minute after Emmanuel Fernandez surrendered possession to allow Lechii Sadulaev square home.

Russia doubled the lead before the restart through Matvey Kislyak, courtesy of some very brilliant build-up play, before Aleksey Miranchuk scored a third. Benfica’s Peter Edokpolor came off the bench to pull one back for Nigeria.

Akor Adams sealed the draw for the Super Eagles in the 94th minute, thanks to the unselfish play of Famalicao striker Umar Abubakar.

In this article, Afrik-Foot rates the players on how they performed against Russia.

Russia vs Super Eagles: Player ratings

1. Samuel James – 6/10

Conceded three goals that he couldn’t really have done anything about. However, his command of his defenders and his deliveries were very poor.

The 20-year-old SJK Akatemia goalkeeper still has a lot to improve on if he’s to become Nigeria’s next goalkeeper.

2. Abdullahi Bewene – 7/10

The Banik Ostrava right-back mentioned he had a point to prove to coach Eric Chelle in the friendly match, and he did that by setting up the opener for Kelechi Iheanacho.

However, for all of his energy going forward, he left some spaces at the back that were exploited by the Russian wingers.

3. Benjamin Fredrick – 6.7/10

A delight to see him on the pitch again. The Brentford defender showed his class and composure, although his reaction to some of Russia’s third-man runs wasn’t on par.

Still, he showed his maturity and will be looking to be a part of the first team next time out in the November International break.

4. Emmanuel Fernandez – 5.8/10

The Rangers centre-back didn’t cover himself in glory, considering the criticism he was facing at club level before the international break.

Fernandez was solely responsible for Russia’s equaliser to make it 1-1, surrendering possession while backing the opposition.

He grew into the game, though, and hugged coach Eric Chelle when Akor Adams scored the 94th-minute equaliser, knowing the result could have been worse due to his error.

5. Isaac James – 6.2/10

If anything, the Alverca full-back showed he has some flair in him, completing three dribbles, the most of any player on the pitch at the Sovcombank Arena.

However, the youngster struggled with the basics. When to pass, when to hold the ball, and when to stay back.

James still has a long way to go before getting into Chelle’s first team with a performance like tonight’s.

6. Aderemi Adeoye – 6.4/10

The Ikorodu City midfielder struggled to impose himself in certain situations where he should’ve stamped his authority.

As a result, Nigeria were unable to hold onto the ball, always waiting for opportunities to hit on the transition.

7. Stephen Michael – 6/10

The Vendsyssel FF defensive midfielder lacked positional awareness and wasn’t secure on the ball. He was taken off at half-time, replaced by Abdullahi Umar.

8. Wilfred Igor – 6.5/10

The 21-year-old kept things ticking in the middle, but nothing spectacular came from his appearance tonight. Might be worth keeping an eye on for the future.

9. Chibuzor Nwoko – 6.8/10

The Fulham attacking midfielder was one of the few players who tried to create something in the opposition half, but he struggled against the physicality of the Russian defenders.

He created a chance in his 83 minutes on the pitch before he was replaced by the debuting Vince Osuji.

10. Kelechi Iheanacho – 7.5/10

The in-form Bursaspor continued his brilliant form this season, extending his scoring run to 12 goals in nine games across all competitions.

🚨Kelechi Iheanacho scores from outside against Russia.

🇷🇺 Russia 0-1 Nigeria 🇳🇬https://t.co/kntJBIbTPz

— Goals Xtra (@GoalsXtra) October 6, 2026

He bent the ball into the near post to score the opener, but was taken off at half-time, with Akor Adams coming on in his place.

11. Moses Simon – 6.7/10

Captain on the night, the Super Eagles centurion saw his free-kick saved by Maksimenko, and in a rather defensive Nigerian side, his pace came in handy on the counter.

However, nothing concrete came from his runs, and he was replaced by Peter Edokpolor in the 70th minute.

Substitutes

Abdullahi Umar – 5/10

Umar replaced Stephen Michael at the start of the second half, but managed just five passes in his 45 minutes on the pitch, picking up a yellow card.

Akor Adams – 7/10

The Venezia striker found chances hard to come by, but took the only clear-cut chance he got when it mattered, stretching out his feet to score Nigeria’s third goal.

Peter Edokpolor – 7.5/10

The Benfica B winger sparked life into Nigeria’s attack immediately after his introduction in the 70th minute.

The 19-year-old pegged the Russian defenders back, and his willingness to take them on led to Nigeria’s second goal, as his shot ricocheted off a defender before finding the back of the net.

Umar Abubakar – 7/10

A striker by trade, Abubakar hugged the right side of Nigeria’s attack for the final 20 minutes, and his impact was felt.

His first attempt saw him turn a defender inside-out before getting his shot away, and his brilliance saw the Famalicao striker lay the ball off for Adams’ winner.

Vince Osuji

Came on for his debut with seven minutes left on the clock, and had little to no impact in his time on the pitch.