The Super Eagles Head coach, Eric Chelle, says his team would continue to work on their playing pattern and try to find balance.
Chelle remarked during a post-match press conference at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Friday night.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that an under-strength Nigeria side held Russia’s in-form Sbornaya to a 1-1 draw in an entertaining friendly match in Moscow.
Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, defenders Ola Aina and Calvin Bassey, midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen, and Samuel Chukwueze were absent from the match.
Nevertheless, the three-time African champions showed grit and courage in refusing to bow at a packed Luzhniki Stadium that shook now and again as the crowd purred.
Chelle said that the absence of some of his key players made the match a little difficult, but the team would continue to work on their playing pattern and find balance.
“Now we are talking about my team’s future as we prepare for the World Cup qualifiers.
“We made many changes to the squad, and our usual pressing game was a bit difficult because the new players have yet to fully understand how we want to play fully.
“So, we need to keep working on our playing pattern and find balance,” he said.
However, the Franco-Malian gaffer admitted that the match was very tough against a strong opponent.
Russia has a good team with lots of pressure and technical qualities.
“We did not play well in the first half. We didn’t enforce our pressing game, so we’ll.
“But we were better in the second half with our pressing, which made the difference for us. It was not an easy game.
“When I say the game was not easy, it was because we played against an excellent team. They had their chances in the first half and took it; we had our chance, but the keeper saved it.
“In the second half, Russia had two chances, and we had one or two, and we scored,” he said.
Without the illustrious forwards, Victor Boniface got another chance to shine.
But in the 8th minute, he chested the ball too hard from Bruno Onyemaechi’s cross, and the Russian defence was easily let off.
In the 27th minute, Ajayi unwittingly diverted the ball into his net beyond a stranded goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.
This was after Viktor Melyokhin streamed past Bright Osayi-Samuel on the right and sent the ball into the box.
On the back foot but unbowed, the Eagles continued to knock the ball around while searching for openings in an airtight Russian defence.
Raphael Onyedika, Frank Onyeka, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru were resplendent in the midfield, and Captain William Ekong, Ajayi, Osayi-Samuel, and Bruno Onyemaechi held the backline firm.
Five minutes from recess, the Super Eagles got the break they needed to draw level as Dele-Bashiru waltzed his way past the defenders and came face-to-face with the inscrutable Matvei Safonov.
Safonov, however, won the battle of wits, diverting the ball over the sticks.
Substitute Tolu Arokodare got the needed equaliser for Nigeria in the 71st minute, barely 10 minutes after he replaced Boniface in attack.
This was when he opted to chase every ball as the Russian defenders passed among themselves. As Safonov under-hit the ball, the Belgium-based forward sprang forward and slotted into the far corner.
It was Arokodare’s first goal for Nigeria and was no more than Nigeria’s endeavour deserved.
The result meant Nigeria kept its unbeaten record in the year 2025, ahead of two crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying games against Rwanda and South Africa in three months’ time.
The Super Eagles, lying fourth in their group, will host Rwanda’s Amavubi in the first week of September.
The team will then fly out to Johannesburg four days later to tackle group leaders Bafana Bafana of South Africa in what could be a flaming war.