The Super Eagles of Nigeria fought back from two goals down to secure a 3-3 draw against Russia in an international friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday.
Nigeria took an early lead through Kelechi Iheanacho in the 10th minute, when the forward fired home from the edge of the box to put the visitors ahead.
Russia responded through Lechi Sadulaev in the 30th minute before Matvey Kislyak completed the turnaround in first-half stoppage time to give the hosts a 2-1 lead at the break.
Aleksey Miranchuk extended Russia’s advantage nine minutes into the second half, leaving Nigeria 3-1 down.
The Super Eagles, however, staged a late comeback, with debutant Peter Edokpolor reducing the deficit in the 78th minute.
Nigeria continued to press for an equaliser and were rewarded in the fourth minute of added time when Akor Adams found the net to complete the comeback.
The result came after Nigeria’s 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier and provided a positive response for coach Éric Chelle.
Chelle fielded a much-changed side, with several regular players unavailable because of injuries and club-related restrictions. Nine players made their Super Eagles debuts as the coach continued to assess younger options within the squad.
The draw also ended Russia’s four-match winning run, giving Nigeria a result from the final game of the current international window.
