Super Eagles debutant Wilfred George Igor has credited Nigeria’s senior players for helping the new faces settle quickly into international football after Eric Chelle’s youthful side fought back dramatically to earn a 3-3 draw against Russia on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old Kristiansund midfielder was one of several players handed their senior international debuts at the Sovcombank Arena in Nizhny Novgorod, but unlike some of the newcomers, Igor was trusted for the entire contest.
Igor said the presence and encouragement of experienced players within camp gave the newcomers confidence, with the senior internationals sharing advice about the demands of representing Nigeria both before and during the match.
That support became particularly important when the Super Eagles found themselves in trouble.
Nigeria had taken a 10th-minute lead through Kelechi Iheanacho, but goals from Lechi Sadulaev and Matvey Kislyak turned the match around before half-time. Aleksey Miranchuk struck nine minutes after the restart to leave Chelle’s team trailing 3-1.
Rather than collapse, the inexperienced Nigerian side responded impressively. Peter Edokpolor reduced the deficit in the 78th minute before Akor Adams scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time to complete the comeback.
For Igor, who plays his club football with Kristiansund in Norway’s Eliteserien, the performance represented an encouraging first taste of senior international football. He has been a regular for his club this season after establishing himself in the Norwegian topflight.
His performance also attracted positive reviews, with Soccernet rating him as Nigeria’s standout midfielder on the night, highlighting his composure, work without the ball and distribution under sustained Russian pressure.
Igor had been among the fresh midfield options specifically selected by Chelle for the Russia friendly as the coach sought to broaden competition within his squad.
For a player experiencing international football for the first time, lasting the entire match and contributing to a comeback from two goals down provided an impressive introduction.
Igor arrived in Russia as one of the unfamiliar names in Chelle’s experimental squad; 90 demanding minutes later, he had taken an important first step towards becoming a name Super Eagles supporters remember.
