A depleted Super Eagles side staged a dramatic second-half comeback to hold hosts Russia to a 3-3 draw in a six-goal international friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday.

Nigeria, still reeling from last week’s shock 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier, took an early lead but found themselves trailing 3-1 before fighting back to earn a share of the spoils.

Kelechi Iheanacho put Nigeria ahead after 10 minutes, firing from outside the box to stun the home supporters.

Russia responded by increasing the pressure and levelled through Lechi Sadulaev after a defensive mix-up by the Nigerian backline.

The hosts completed the turnaround shortly before half-time when Matvey Kislyak tapped the ball in at the near post to give Russia a 2-1 lead at the break.

Russia continued to threaten after the restart and extended its advantage in the 54th minute.

Aleksey Miranchuk finished off a flowing move through the Nigerian defence to put the hosts 3-1 ahead.

Coach Éric Chelle responded with a series of substitutions as Nigeria searched for a way back into the contest.

The changes eventually paid off when Osayande Edokpolor produced a stunning strike in the 78th minute to reduce the deficit to 3-2 and give the Super Eagles renewed hope.

Nigeria pressed for an equaliser in the closing stages, while Russia sought to put the game beyond the visitors.

The Super Eagles finally completed the comeback in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Akor Adams converted a swift counter-attack to make it 3-3.

Emmanuel Fernandez initiated the move before Umar Abdullahi set up Adams, who calmly finished the opportunity to rescue Nigeria from defeat.

The result extended Nigeria’s unbeaten run against Russia in their two most recent meetings. Their previous encounter in June 2025 ended 1-1 at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

The Super Eagles were forced to field a significantly weakened squad for Tuesday’s encounter, with club restrictions, travel documentation issues and injuries ruling out several regular players.

The Nigeria Football Federation had described Chelle’s squad as “seriously weakened” ahead of the friendly, with nine players making their international debuts in the youthful side.

Despite the absences, Nigeria showed resilience to recover from a two-goal deficit against a Russian side that entered the encounter in strong form.

Russia had defeated Iran 2-0 in its previous outing before thrashing Namibia 6-0, while Nigeria were seeking a response after their disappointing defeat by Guinea-Bissau in the AFCON qualifying campaign.

The draw will provide Chelle with useful information on several fringe players as he continues to build depth in the Super Eagles squad.

For Nigeria, the comeback also offered a measure of encouragement after the setback against Guinea-Bissau, although the defensive lapses that allowed Russia to score three goals will remain a concern ahead of the team’s competitive fixtures.