Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has thrown the senior national team door wide open, naming a heavily experimental 24-man squad packed with new faces for Nigeria’s international friendly against Russia in Nizhny Novgorod on October 6.
Captain Wilfred Ndidi leads a dramatically reshaped group that retains experienced players including Stanley Nwabali, Moses Simon, Kelechi Iheanacho, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Raphael Onyedika and Akor Adams, but also gives a large collection of emerging players an opportunity to stake their claims at senior international level.
Nigeria will face Russia at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday, October 6, exactly one week after the Super Eagles’ 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier away to Guinea-Bissau. The NFF had already confirmed the friendly earlier this month.
But Chelle’s squad announcement has now given the encounter a completely different complexion.
Unlike the 24-man squad selected for the AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, several of Nigeria’s biggest names are absent from the Russia list, providing an opportunity for the coach to examine players who have been waiting on the fringes of the senior national team.
Among those receiving opportunities are Finland-based goalkeeper Samuel James, FC Basel defender Victory Akpe, Fulham midfielder Chibuzo Nwoko, Denmark-based Stephen Michael, Norway-based Igor Wilfred, Al Wasl’s Ridwan Abdulrasaq, Slavia Prague midfielder Suleiman Mubarak and Ikorodu City’s Aderemi Adeoye.
The attacking department also contains fresh faces, with Peter Edokpolor, Abubakar Umar and Abdullahi Umar selected alongside the more experienced Iheanacho, Simon and Adams.
It means the Russia friendly could provide Chelle with one of his biggest opportunities yet to widen the Super Eagles’ player pool.
One newcomer arriving with considerable momentum is Victory Akpe.
The imposing centre-back joined Swiss giants FC Basel during the summer after progressing through Banga in Lithuania and Zalaegerszeg in Hungary.
Akpe, who stands 1.95 metres tall, has quickly established himself in Switzerland. Available match records show him playing regularly for Basel this season, with a goal and an assist already to his name.
His emergence now earns him an opportunity to make the jump to senior international football.
There is also significant domestic representation in Chelle’s selection.
Michael Atata and Aderemi Adeoye of Ikorodu City, as well as Kenneth Igboke of Rangers, are included, ensuring Nigeria-based players will have an opportunity to compete alongside their Europe-based counterparts.
The selection appears to underline Chelle’s willingness to use the friendly for experimentation rather than simply assembling the familiar Super Eagles names.
Players such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey and Ola Aina, who were selected for the AFCON qualifiers, are not listed for the Russia encounter.
Instead, responsibility for guiding the younger and less-established members of the squad will fall on experienced figures including Ndidi, Simon, Iheanacho, Nwabali and Osayi-Samuel.
The match itself will provide a serious examination.
Nigeria and Russia last met at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on June 6, 2025, with the encounter ending 1-1.
Russia took the lead through a Semi Ajayi own goal before Tolu Arokodare equalised for Nigeria in the second half.
Their October meeting will therefore be the second encounter between the countries in 16 months.
The Nizhny Novgorod Stadium is also a notable venue. The approximately 44,000-capacity arena hosted matches during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, including England’s quarter-final victory over Sweden.
For Chelle, however, the result may not be the only thing under examination.
With so many unfamiliar names entering the senior setup, the friendly provides an opportunity to discover who can challenge Nigeria’s established internationals for places going forward.
SUPER EAGLES 24-MAN SQUAD VS RUSSIA
Goalkeepers: Michael Atata (Ikorodu City); Samuel James (SJK, Finland); Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa).
Defenders: Kenneth Igboke (Rangers); Isaac James (Alverca, Portugal); Benjamin Fredricks (Brentford, England); Emmanuel Fernandez (Rangers, Scotland); Victory Akpe (FC Basel, Switzerland); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Abdullahi Bewene (Banik Ostrava, Czechia).
Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas, Turkey); Raphael Onyedika (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany); Chibuzo Nwoko (Fulham, England); Stephen Michael (Vendsyssel, Denmark); Igor Wilfred (Kristiansund, Norway); Ridwan Abdulrasaq (Al Wasl, UAE); Suleiman Mubarak (Slavia Prague, Czechia); Aderemi Adeoye (Ikorodu City).
Forwards: Kelechi Iheanacho (Bursaspor, Turkey); Moses Simon (Paris FC, France); Akor Adams (Venezia, Italy); Peter Edokpolor (Benfica, Portugal); Abubakar Umar (Famalicão, Portugal); Abdullahi Umar (Hradec Králové, Czechia).
Nigeria head into the match following a busy 2026 international programme that has included a 2-2 draw with Poland and a narrow 2-1 defeat to Portugal in June.
But the trip to Russia will be different.
For Ndidi, Simon, Nwabali and the other established internationals, it is another opportunity to represent Nigeria.
For the army of newcomers, October 6 could be the night that changes their international careers — and Chelle has given them the stage to prove they belong in the Super Eagles.
