Akor Adams has urged the Super Eagles to deliver a good result against Russia despite the absence of several key players for Tuesday’s international friendly in Nizhny Novgorod.
Nigeria will face Russia for the second time in 16 months after both sides played out a 1-1 draw at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium in June 2025.
The Super Eagles head into the encounter with a significantly weakened squad following injuries, club restrictions and a documentation issue, with several established players unavailable to head coach Éric Chelle.
Captain Wilfred Ndidi is ruled out after sustaining a minor knock against Guinea-Bissau, while Raphael Onyedika, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ridwan Abdulrasaq Popoola and Moses Usor were among those prevented from travelling by their clubs. Victory Akpe is also unavailable through injury, while Suleiman Mubarak could not make the trip because of a residence permit issue.
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The situation has opened the door for several less-experienced players, with a number of debutants expected to feature against the Russians.
Adams is one of the few senior players in the current squad and believes the new faces must embrace the opportunity while maintaining the standards expected of the Super Eagles.
“There are a lot of new boys in camp. I’m happy for them and congratulations for those who are going to make their debut in advance, but it’s still the Super Eagles and we know what we stand for,” Adams said in an interview released by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The Venezia forward said Chelle has made it clear that the objective against Russia is to put in a strong performance and compete for victory.
“The coach has made it clear that we are here to try our best to win.”
Adams also acknowledged the quality of the Russian side, describing them as a team that will be motivated to play following their limited opportunities for international matches.
“Russia is a very good team as well and I think they’re hungry to play games because of their peculiar situation,” he added.
Although the friendly offers Chelle an opportunity to assess some of the younger and less-experienced players in his squad, Adams believes the Super Eagles must still approach the game with the same responsibility that comes with representing Nigeria.
“For us it’s to give our best. I know Nigerians are watching, they love football a lot and they love the Super Eagles a lot. We’ll try to come out with a good result and also a good performance.”
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