Nigeria’s Super Eagles will return to Russia in October for a rematch with the hosts, with the two countries set to meet in an international friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
The fixture, confirmed by the Russian Football Union and also arranged on Nigeria’s side by FIFA Match Agent Jairo Pachon of Eurodatasports, will come just one week after Eric Chelle’s side face Guinea-Bissau in their second 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.
It means the Super Eagles will move quickly from competitive AFCON action into another international test, having opened their qualifying campaign against Madagascar at home on September 25 before travelling to Bissau to face the Djurtus on September 29.
The meeting in Nizhny Novgorod will be the second encounter between Nigeria and Russia in 16 months, following their 1-1 draw at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium in June 2025.
That first meeting was a closely fought contest in which Russia took the lead through a Semi Ajayi own goal before Tolu Arokodare restored parity for the Super Eagles after the interval.
Nigeria will now have another opportunity to test themselves against the Russian national side, this time away from Moscow and at a venue that hosted matches during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, which holds around 44,000 spectators, will stage the encounter, with the exact kick-off time and ticket information to be announced later by the Russian Football Union.
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The Super Eagles will have completed their opening two AFCON 2027 qualifiers before travelling to Russia, giving the Franco-Malian coach another opportunity to assess his squad after competitive matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
It also continues Nigeria’s run of high-profile international friendlies.
The Super Eagles faced Poland and Portugal in June, drawing 2-2 with the Poles in Warsaw before suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to Portugal in Leiria. The Russia fixture now gives Chelle another European opponent to measure his side against.
Russia, meanwhile, will have a busy October international window of their own.
Valery Karpin’s team are scheduled to face Iran in Kazan on September 29 before playing Namibia in Yekaterinburg on October 3 and then Nigeria three days later in Nizhny Novgorod.
The Russian side have remained outside FIFA and UEFA competitive competitions since their suspension following the invasion of Ukraine, meaning their international programme continues to be built around friendly matches.
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Nigeria enter the rematch with the higher FIFA ranking, with the Super Eagles currently 26th in the world compared with Russia’s 35th. But the ranking difference will matter little once the teams meet again.
The Super Eagles immediate priority will first be to negotiate Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau successfully and make a strong start to their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.
Then attention will turn to Nizhny Novgorod, where Chelle’s side will look to build on the encouraging moments from their previous meeting with Russia and add another chapter to a fixture that has now become a regular feature of Nigeria’s international calendar.
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