Friday evening will see the Super Eagles lock horns with their Russia counterparts at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
Though a friendly, it promises to be a hotly-contested match-up, especially for the host nation who have been banned from UEFA competition for close to five years now. Off the back of consecutive 5-0 wins, Valery Karpin’s men will start as favourites, with their chances of success bolstered by a rash of absences in the Nigeria team.
Eric Chelle’s roster is a depleted one, beset by the absences of the likes of Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey and Wilfred Ndidi. Even the roster that executed and won the Unity Cup less than a week ago was arguably stronger, and so the Malian will see this meeting with Russia as a chance to experiment further.
Russia vs Nigeria lineups
Nigeria (Confirmed)
Goalkeeper: Maduka Okoye
Defenders: Bright Osayi-Samuel, Semi Ajayi, William Ekong, Bruno Onyemaechi
Midfielders: Raphael Onyedika, Christantus Uche, Frank Onyeka, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru
Forwards: Victor Boniface, Moses Simon
Russia (Probable)
Goalkeeper: Matvey Safonov
Defenders: Ilya Vakhaniya, Maxim Osipenko, Alexander Silyanov, Yuri Gorshkov
Midfielders: Alexey Batrakov, Anton Miranchuk, Danil Prutsev
Forwards: Maksim Glushenkov, Andrey Mostovoy, Nikolay Komlichenko
Will Arokodare, Boniface seize their Super Eagles opportunity?
Even with his first-choice Super Eagles forwards missing, Chelle can still boast of the leading scorer in Belgium, Tolu Arokodare.
The 24-year-old brings different attributes to the table than, say, Victor Osimhen. However, with Cyriel Dessers having impressed at the Unity Cup, Arokodare will be under pressure to make his mark in Moscow.
He may not be able to replicate the influence and physicality of the Galatasaray marksman, but if he can assert himself, especially in the air, he may push himself forward in the striker reckoning.
Another who must pull his weight in the absence of the main cast is Victor Boniface.
The Germany-based striker has endured a miserable season, and questions are already being asked of his lack of impact at international level. A skillful forward on his day, his seeming nonchalance rubs many the wrong way, and in most minds, this should represent his very last chance to demonstrate proficiency.
