Friendly: Super Eagles Ready For Russia Showdown – Chelle

Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle says his team is motivated and ready to fight for victory when Nigeria face Russia in Tuesday’s international friendly.

Nigeria will be hoping to bounce back from their disappointing 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match last week.

The Super Eagles will feature a second-string team against Russia after several regular players withdrew due to injuries and other circumstances. Chelle said some clubs also refused to release their players.

“Some clubs don’t want the players to come. We have to manage the situation,” Chelle said at a press conference on Monday.

“We lost our last game, and the expectation for this game is to give the new players the opportunity to show what they can do. We are motivated. The players want to win, and they want to give their best for the jersey and the country.”

Chelle also reflected on the defeat to Guinea-Bissau and stressed that his players must show greater intensity against Russia. “This is not the same team. We lost the game against Guinea-Bissau because our intensity was not good. It’s going to be a different game,” he said.

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“The Russian team also play with a lot of intensity. When they don’t have the ball, they are always aggressive. I want my team to play the same way too. If we play that way tomorrow, I will be very happy. I want to see a good game and a good performance from the players,” Chelle added.