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Russia has announced a friendly match against the Super Eagles on June 6
The Russian Football Union (RFU) has announced that the country’s men’s national team will play an international friendly against the Super Eagles of Nigeria on June 6, 2025.
In a statement released on Thursday, the RFU said it had reached agreements with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and two other national football bodies to arrange the friendly matches. While the match is set to take place in Russia, the exact time and venue are yet to be determined.
This announcement comes despite Russia’s ongoing ban from international football competitions. FIFA and UEFA suspended all Russian national teams and clubs in 2022 following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. However, in 2023, FIFA eased restrictions slightly, allowing Russian U-17 teams to compete in international tournaments under neutral conditions—without the national flag, anthem, or official team kit.
Despite the broader ban, the Russian senior men’s team has continued to play non-FIFA-sanctioned friendlies against non-Western countries.
The NFF has yet to release an official statement confirming its position on the proposed friendly. If the match goes ahead, it will mark the first-ever meeting between Nigeria and Russia at the senior level of international football.
Melissa Enoch
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