Former Super Eagles defender and 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner Juwon Oshaniwa has challenged Nigeria to raise their standards against Russia, insisting the pain of missing the 2026 FIFA World Cup should be enough motivation for the players to approach every international assignment with greater seriousness.
Oshaniwa’s warning follows Nigeria’s damaging 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their second 2027 AFCON qualifier, a performance he has already described as the worst he has witnessed since Eric Chelle took charge of the national team.
The former Hearts defender believes the manner of the defeat was unacceptable and wants an immediate improvement when Nigeria face Russia at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday.
For Oshaniwa, the fact that the encounter is a friendly should not reduce the standards expected from players wearing the Nigerian shirt.
Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup and have now opened their latest AFCON qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Madagascar followed by the heavy defeat in Bissau. The Russia fixture therefore provides Chelle with an opportunity to assess a substantially changed squad while seeking a positive response.
Oshaniwa believes the disappointment of missing the World Cup should remain fresh enough to drive the team.
“Not qualifying for the World Cup should be motivation on its own,” he said, stressing that Nigeria must begin treating every game with the level of commitment expected from a country with the Super Eagles’ history.
His demand for improvement comes as Chelle introduces several new faces for the Russia encounter, with the coach using the friendly to broaden his options following the opening AFCON qualifiers.
Nigeria and Russia last met in Moscow in June 2025, playing out a 1-1 draw after Tolu Arokodare cancelled out Semi Ajayi’s first-half own goal. Tuesday’s encounter will be their second meeting in 16 months.
For Oshaniwa, however, the bigger issue is not the opposition or classification of the match.
The former international wants the Super Eagles to rediscover the standards expected whenever they represent Nigeria.
Bissau, he believes, must not become another defeat that is quickly forgotten. Missing the World Cup should already have taught the Super Eagles that every opportunity in international football has to be taken seriously.
