• Friendly: Nigeria, Russia clash in Nizhny October 6

The Super Eagles will begin their journey to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with a home clash with Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, on September 25, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has said.

The team will then fly to Bissau to meet Guinea Bissau’s Wild Dogs in their second game of the series on September 29, the federation added.

Nigeria, which finished third at the last AFCON in Morocco early this year, is aiming to return to international action at the 2027 edition in East Africa after missing the 2026 World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The 2027 AFCON will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Speaking on the country’s programme during the forthcoming FIFA window, the NFF also said that the Super Eagles will meet Russia in a second international friendly in 16 months inside the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on October 6, as confirmed by Nigeria’s FIFA Match Agent, Jairo Pachon of Eurodatasports.

Both teams played out a 1-1 draw in another friendly inside Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on 6th June 2025 – a few days after the Super Eagles retained the Afro-Caribbean Unity Cup Football Tournament trophy in London.

An own goal by defender Semi Ajayi in the first half put the hosts in front, but Nigeria levelled in the second half through Tolu Arokodare.

Despite failing to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico in the summer, the Super Eagles retained the Unity Cup in London, played out a credible 2-2 draw with Poland in Warsaw and narrowly lost 1-2 to Portugal in Meira.

The clash at the 44,000–capacity Nizhny Novgorod Stadium (which hosted matches during the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals) will be Russia’s second at the venue. They pipped Cyprus 1-0 in a 2020 UEFA Euro qualifier at that venue in June 2019.

The Super Eagles are currently ranked 26th in the world, while Russia’s ‘Our Boys’ are in the 35th position.