Adams Nigeria Russia draw ended 3-3 as Akor Adams scored in stoppage time to rescue the Super Eagles in an entertaining friendly

Akor Adams struck in the fourth minute of stoppage time as Nigeria produced a spirited fightback to draw 3-3 with Russia in an entertaining international friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.

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The Super Eagles had been staring at defeat after falling 3-1 behind, but a late surge from Eric Chelle’s much-changed side ensured Nigeria ended the international break with a hard-earned point.

The result also offered some encouragement after the disappointment of the team’s shock 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their previous outing, a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

Chelle used the friendly to assess the depth of his squad, handing nine players their international debuts in a heavily rotated starting XI.

Only six starters, Moses Simon, Kelechi Iheanacho, Benjamin Fredricks, Emmanuel Fernandez, Abdullahi Bewene and Aderemi Adeoye, had previously appeared for Nigeria.

Among the returning players was Iheanacho, who marked his return to the national team after more than 16 months with an excellent early finish.

The striker opened the scoring in the 11th minute after receiving a pass from Bewene on the edge of the box. He created space before sending a powerful left-footed effort into the top corner to register his 15th international goal.

Nigeria controlled much of the early exchanges, but their inexperienced defence struggled to contain the hosts as the game progressed.

Russia levelled through Lechi Sadulaev in the 30th minute before Matvey Kislyak put the home side ahead shortly before half-time.

Aleksey Miranchuk then extended Russia’s advantage to 3-1 nine minutes into the second half, leaving Nigeria facing another difficult result.

Chelle responded by turning to his substitutes, and the changes quickly transformed the momentum of the contest.

Nineteen-year-old debutant Peter Edokpolor pulled one back for Nigeria in the 78th minute, driving through the Russian defence before unleashing an unstoppable finish.

The goal came after Umar Abdullahi had gone close five minutes earlier, and it gave the Super Eagles renewed belief.

Nigeria continued to press for an equaliser, with Chelle introducing Vince Osuji for Chibuzo Nwoko as the team pushed forward in search of a way back into the game.

Their persistence finally paid off deep into stoppage time.

In the fourth minute of added time, Fernandez’s long header sparked a swift counter-attack. Abdullahi then squared the ball for substitute Adams, who calmly turned the delivery home to complete a dramatic comeback.

The equaliser capped a memorable night for Adams and underlined the resilience of a young Nigeria side that refused to surrender despite being two goals behind.

Before the match, Adams had revealed that Chelle had demanded victory from the much-changed squad, despite the absence of several key players, including captain Wilfred Ndidi, Raphael Onyedika and Bright Osayi-Samuel.

While Nigeria ultimately failed to secure the win, the late recovery gave Chelle plenty to consider as he continues to build squad depth.

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The Super Eagles will now shift their attention back to competitive football, with Tanzania awaiting them in a double-header in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in November.