Super Eagles captain and Al Kholood defender William Troost-Ekong has shared the team’s mindset ahead of their international friendly match against Russia, stating that the players are fully focused and committed to having a solid performance.
Speaking from the team’s camp, Troost-Ekong admitted that while the squad is not entirely familiar with the current Russian team, extensive preparations have been made, including video analysis and tactical adjustments introduced by the new coaching crew.
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“We’re very much looking forward to the game. I don’t know too much about the Russian team now. We see that there have also been some changes since I last saw the team. However, we have watched a lot of videos in the last few days to understand how the team plays, and how they prepared against other friendly games that they’ve had here in the last year. So, yeah, we take the team very seriously.”
Ekong also acknowledged Russia’s strong goal-scoring record in recent fixtures but emphasized Nigeria’s resolve to make a statement.
“You can see the goal, and yeah, we want to make a difference about that.”
With the team undergoing a transition under new leadership, the experienced defender stressed the importance of unity, adaptation, and the long-term goal of building towards success at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and World Cup qualification.
“We prepare as much as we can in our own way because also we are here to understand our playing style under the new coach. We have a lot of new faces in the team, and we have to continue to build for our own project, which is the AFCON at the end of the year and to qualify for the World Cup.”
The Super Eagles will face Russia in what is expected to be a crucial test of cohesion, fitness, and tactical readiness under the evolving direction of the national team.
