A HEAVILY depleted Super Eagles side came from two goals down to hold hosts Russia to a 3-3 draw in a six-goal thriller on Tuesday.
News Point Nigeria Sport reports that the Super Eagles came into the game following a shocking 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier last week.
Although the bulk of the team that featured in that loss to Guinea-Bissau did not play against Russia, the Super Eagles took the lead 10 minutes into the match.
Kelechi Iheanacho’s strike from outside the box gave Nigeria the advantage and stunned the home fans just 10 minutes into the match.
The Russians pushed for an equaliser and got one through Lechi Sadulaev in the 30th minute after a defensive mix-up from the Nigerian defenders.
Just before the half-time break, Matvey Kislyak completed the turnaround for his side against the Super Eagles when he tapped in from the near post to make it 2-1 to Russia.
The Russians continued to press after the restart and, in the 54th minute, weaved through Nigeria’s defence before Aleksey Miranchuk scored Russia’s third goal.
Nigeria trailed 3-2 with about 12 minutes remaining on the clock but rallied to grab a 3-3 draw in the encounter.
Nigeria and their opponents made a string of changes as the game wore on, while the Super Eagles continued to press for a goal.
Their persistence paid off in the 78th minute when Osayande Edokpolor produced a stunning strike to give Nigeria a lifeline.
Russia rallied to increase the tally but could not do so as the match entered the final stages.
But the Super Eagles, three-time African champions, were not done yet.
Akor Adams finished off a Nigerian counter-attack in the 94th minute to complete the comeback for his team.
Emmanuel Fernandez began the counterattack before Umar Abdullahi put it on a plate for Adams, who made no mistake with the finish.
Nine players made their debut for the youthful Nigerian side against Russia.
The Super Eagles came into the clash depleted after club restrictions, travel documentation and injuries saw seven players miss the match at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.
Coach Éric Chelle was left with what the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) called a “seriously weakened” side against the Russians, whom the Super Eagles last played in June 2025.
That match ended 1-1 at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
Unlike Nigeria, who were under pressure after the loss to Guinea-Bissau, the Sbornaya of Russia entered the match on the back of a 2-0 victory over Iran and a 6-0 trouncing of African side Namibia.
The Super Eagles will return to action in November for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.