As Nigeria’s Super Eagles prepare to face Russia in an international friendly at the Luzhniki Stadium on Friday, team captain William Troost-Ekong has made it clear: the squad is focused on football, not sightseeing.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Thursday, Troost-Ekong emphasised the team’s mission in Moscow.
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“We are here for business. It’s not a tourist trip. So as much as we like to enjoy what we see here, we’re very much looking forward to the game tomorrow (Friday),” he said.
The Super Eagles have had a strong start to 2025, remaining unbeaten so far and recently winning the four-nation Unity Cup tournament in London.
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The match against Russia will serve as another test for the team, particularly under new head coach Eric Chelle, who took over earlier this year.
“We have a lot of new faces in the team, and we have to continue to build for our own project, which is the African Cup at the end of the year and to qualify for the World Cup,” Troost-Ekong noted.
The captain acknowledged the strength of the Russian team, which is currently on an eight-match winning streak, including a 5-0 victory over Zambia in March.
“They have an outstanding record here with the amount of goals they’ve scored. Yet we can see the goal. And yeah, we want to make the difference about that tomorrow (Friday).”
Troost-Ekong also spoke about the tactical challenges Russia poses and how Nigeria plans to adapt.
“We’ve seen a team that plays 4-3-3. They try to press high… they scored a lot of goals and had a lot of possession. So it’s a challenge now to explore some things that maybe Russia doesn’t do so well.”
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The friendly is an opportunity for Nigeria to test its evolving squad, particularly with new players learning the coach’s system.
“This is another opportunity to work on those progressive playing styles that we have ourselves… Some players, it’s the first time they’re here with us. So they also need to understand what the coach expects.”
Kick-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. local time (6 p.m. in Nigeria), with the Super Eagles looking to extend their unbeaten run and build momentum for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
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