Super Eagles hold Russia in historic friendly as Arokodare scores debut goal

The Super Eagles of Nigeria came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against Russia in their first-ever senior international clash on Friday night at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
Despite missing several key players like Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman and Ola Aina, Nigeria showed great determination to avoid defeat against a Russian side that had won eight straight matches before the game.
Fresh off their Unity Cup triumph in London, the Eagles stepped onto the pitch full of confidence. Their never-say-die spirit paid off in the second half after falling behind earlier in the game.
Russia took the lead in the 28th minute through an own goal by Nigerian defender, Semi Ajayi, who accidentally turned in a low cross from Danil Krugovoy.
The goal came slightly against the run of play, as Nigeria had shown promise going forward.
The Super Eagles almost got the equalizer minutes later when Fisayo Dele-Bashiru broke free and was one-on-one with Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, but the Paris Saint-Germain shot-stopper made a brilliant save to deny the Nigerian midfielder.
Russia had another golden chance early in the second half, but Viktor Melekhin missed from close range after being left unmarked during a set-piece.
Nigeria’s lifeline came in the second half when substitute Tolu Arokodare pounced on a rare error from Safonov to score the equalizer. The Genk striker showed great awareness and composure to slot home, boosting his chances of featuring more prominently in Nigeria’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Russia pushed hard for a winner, but Nigerian goalkeeper Maduka Okoye stood firm. He pulled off two superb saves late in the game—one of them a full-stretch effort to deny Aleksey Batrakov a goal-bound shot—while Dmitri Barinov fired over the bar in the dying minutes.
It was a spirited performance from the Super Eagles, who will now shift their focus to crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and South Africa in September.