The Russian Football Union (RFU) has announced that the country’s men’s national team will play an international friendly against Nigeria’s Super Eagles on June 6.
The RFU confirmed the fixture in a statement on its official website on Thursday, February 13, stating that the match will take place in Russia, though the exact time and venue are yet to be determined.
Russia is also set to play two other friendly matches, facing Zambia in March before taking on Belarus on June 10. The RFU said it had reached agreements with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and the two other national football bodies to arrange the matches.
Since 2022, Russia has been banned from FIFA and UEFA competitions due to its invasion of Ukraine, a decision that suspended all Russian national teams and clubs from international tournaments. However, in 2023, FIFA eased restrictions to allow Russian U-17 teams to compete under the neutral banner of the “Football Union of Russia,” without the country’s flag, anthem, or official kit.
Despite the ban, Russia’s senior national team has continued to play friendly matches against non-western countries. The NFF has yet to issue an official statement on the fixture, and if the match goes ahead, it will mark the first-ever meeting between Nigeria and Russia at the senior level of international football.