The Russia vs Nigeria kick-off time on Tuesday, October 6, is 7pm Moscow time, which is 5pm in Nigeria, and the Russian Football Union said on Monday that more than 38,000 tickets have already been sold for the friendly in Nizhny Novgorod. The stadium holds 41,300, so the Super Eagles are set to play in front of a near-capacity crowd a week after the 3-0 defeat in Bissau.
International friendly
Preview
Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod · Tuesday 6 October 2026, 5pm WAT (7pm Moscow)
The kick-off was originally set for 7.30pm local time before the Russian Football Union moved it to 7pm at the request of the host broadcaster. Moscow runs three hours ahead of GMT all year, two hours ahead of Nigeria, so fans at home should plan for a 5pm start rather than the evening slot the local time suggests.
A full house raises the stakes for Chelle’s new faces
The RFU’s figure is up from about 25,000 tickets reported sold in late September, and the federation has confirmed that the result will count towards the FIFA rankings. Russia have been barred from FIFA and UEFA competitions since February 2022, so friendlies are the only senior football they can play, and Valery Karpin’s side arrive in form after beating Iran 2-0 and Namibia 6-0 in their last two games.
For Eric Chelle, a loud, packed stadium is a sterner test than a quiet friendly would have been. He travelled without captain Wilfred Ndidi and defender Victory Akpe, with John Otomewo and Vince Osuji drafted in, as confirmed when the Super Eagles squad for Russia was revised. Rostov midfielder Ajasa joined the camp late, while Bright Osayi-Samuel is no longer with the group.
What Tuesday’s game means before the Tanzania double-header
The NFF said the team would hold training sessions on Sunday and Monday before the game, after an opening session on Saturday in which Moses Simon, Stanley Nwabali, Kelechi Iheanacho and Akor Adams were among 17 players who took part. Monday’s session is the last chance for Chelle to settle on a back line that conceded three times in Guinea-Bissau.
Tuesday is only the second senior meeting between the two countries, after a 1-1 draw at the Luzhniki Stadium in June 2025, which we broke down in our Russia vs Nigeria preview. A strong showing in front of a big away crowd would give Chelle some badly needed confidence ahead of the two Tanzania games that will decide whether Nigeria can still reach AFCON 2027.
