Ekong, Simon, Boniface, others land in Moscow for first training
By Olaolu Joseph
Ahead of their international friendly match against Russia, the camp of Nigeria’s senior national team, the Super Eagles, has come alive with the arrival of most of the invited players.
As of Tuesday morning, 18 players had arrived in batches, including Maduka Okoye, Amas Obasogie, William Troost-Ekong, Semi Ajayi, and Igho Ogbu. Others are Benjamin Fredrick, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Moses Simon, Frank Onyeka, and Chrisantus Uche.
Also already on ground are the home-based players: Isaac Saviour, Papa Mustapha, Sikiru Alimi, and Ismaila Sadiq. Raphael Onyedika, Tolu Arokodare, and Victor Boniface completed the list of those currently in camp.
Meanwhile, the team’s first training session is scheduled for Tuesday evening.
The friendly match against Russia’s senior men’s team will take place at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Friday, June 6, 2025.
Basking in the euphoria of last weekend’s triumph in the Unity Cup Invitational Tournament held in London, Eric Chelle and his Super Eagles will hope to emerge victorious in Friday’s match, which marks the first-ever senior-level clash between the two nations.
Past encounters between Nigeria and Russia have taken place at age-grade football championships—specifically the U-16 and U-20 levels. In the final of the FIFA U-16 World Cup in Canada, Russia, then known as the Soviet Union, defeated Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets via penalties.
However, Nigeria got their revenge two years later when the Flying Eagles came from four goals down to level the score, eventually defeating the Russians on penalties to advance to the semi-finals of the FIFA U-20 World Youth Championship held in Saudi Arabia in 1989.
