Rostov midfielder Ibraheem Mahfus Ajasa has been called up to the Super Eagles for Tuesday’s international friendly against Russia in Nizhny Novgorod, giving Eric Chelle a late look at a Lagos-born player who already knows Russian football from the inside. Rostov announced the Ajasa Super Eagles call-up on the club’s official website on Saturday evening, closing the short notice by wishing him luck.
The invitation arrives as Chelle’s camp continues to shift shape. Captain Wilfred Ndidi and Basel defender Victory Akpe have both withdrawn from the original 24-man list, and Vince Osuji is among the players drafted in. Ajasa was not part of the squad the NFF announced on September 17, so his arrival gives the coach an extra midfield option rather than a like-for-like replacement for any single absentee.
| Competition | International friendly |
|---|---|
| Date | Tuesday 6 October 2026 |
| Kick-off | 8:00pm Moscow time (6:00pm in Nigeria) |
| Venue | Nizhny Novgorod Stadium |
| New call-up | Ibraheem Mahfus Ajasa (Rostov) |
Why the Ajasa Super Eagles call-up makes sense for Chelle now
Geography makes this call-up an easy one to arrange. Ajasa is already based in Russia, so joining a camp in Nizhny Novgorod involves very little travel, and it lets the technical crew assess him in training and possibly in a match against a Russia side drawn largely from the league he plays in. Chelle has used this window to test fringe and home-based players after the 3-0 defeat in Bissau, and a friendly with no qualifying points at stake is the natural place to do it.
Club minutes are the obvious question mark. Ajasa joined Rostov in July 2025 from Egyptian side Modern Sport and made his Russian Premier League debut against Krylia Sovetov the following month, but his only outing so far this season has been a brief seven-minute appearance in the Russian Cup. That makes this camp as much an audition as a reward, and a strong week in training could matter more for his future with the national team than anything he shows on Tuesday night.
A Super Eagles squad being rebuilt on the move
The Russia trip was always going to be a lighter, experimental squad. Chelle left out several senior attackers for this game, and the camp has been built around players who need minutes in the shirt, including home-based Ikorodu City goalkeeper Michael Atata and midfielder Aderemi Adeoye, plus Enugu Rangers defender Kenneth Igboke. Kelechi Iheanacho, who turned 30 this weekend, brings experience to a forward line led by Moses Simon and Akor Adams.
Russia warmed up for the visit by beating Namibia 6-0, which you can read about in our Russia vs Nigeria preview. The latest withdrawals and replacements are covered in full in our updated Super Eagles squad for Russia.
What Tuesday could mean for the Tanzania double-header
The friendly sits just before the part of the AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign that Chelle has already called must-win. After the loss in Bissau, he said Nigeria “have to win both” matches against Tanzania, and every player who impresses in Nizhny Novgorod is pushing for a place in that squad. For Ajasa, a debut on Tuesday would put his name on the coach’s list at exactly the moment the Super Eagles are searching for fresh legs, and you can follow the full picture in our breakdown of what Nigeria need to qualify for AFCON 2027.
