Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has praised the character of his youthful Nigerian side after they fought back from two goals down to secure a dramatic 3-3 draw against Russia in Tuesday’s international friendly in Nizhny Novgorod.
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Nigeria appeared destined for another disappointing result when Russia raced into a 3-1 advantage, but late goals from Peter Edokpolor and Akor Adams completed a spirited recovery and ensured Chelle’s experimental side left Russia unbeaten on the night.
Chelle described the encounter as a game of contrasting halves, admitting Nigeria started brightly but gradually lost the intensity that had produced their early advantage.
Kelechi Iheanacho marked his return to the national team by opening the scoring in the 10th minute before Lechi Sadulaev equalised. Matvey Kislyak struck in first-half stoppage time to put Russia ahead, before Aleksei Miranchuk made it 3-1 nine minutes after the restart.
The Super Eagles coach responded with changes to his attacking structure, and the substitutions eventually transformed the contest.
Edokpolor, one of several debutants, reduced the deficit in the 78th minute before Adams struck in the 94th minute to complete the comeback.
Chelle was particularly encouraged by the response from his inexperienced players, with several established internationals unavailable for the fixture.
“We’re trying to prepare for the African Cup of Nations and the Olympic Games,” Chelle said after the match. “Today, we had players from the U-23 team, and they proved they’re ready for the senior team.”
The performance provided a positive response after Nigeria’s damaging 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their previous outing.
For Chelle, however, the biggest satisfaction was seeing his players refuse to accept defeat when Russia appeared firmly in control.
With nine players making their Super Eagles debuts, the friendly gave the coach valuable new options while offering Nigeria’s emerging generation a demanding international examination.
From 3-1 down to 3-3, Nigeria did not leave Russia with the victory Chelle wanted — but the fightback gave him something equally valuable: evidence that his new-look Super Eagles possess character when the game turns against them.
