Nigeria turned a night that was sliding towards another damaging defeat into a statement of resilience on Tuesday, recovering from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Russia in Nizhny Novgorod.
Akor Adams completed the rescue in the 94th minute, finishing a late move to deny the hosts victory after teenager Peter Edokpolor had dragged the Super Eagles back into contention with Nigeria’s second goal in the 78th minute.
The Nigeria Football Federation said head coach Eric Chelle fielded a heavily rotated and depleted side, with nine players making their senior international debuts during the match.
Iheanacho strikes first, Russia hit back
Kelechi Iheanacho gave Nigeria the lead in the 11th minute, firing home after being supplied by Abdullahi Bewene.
Russia responded before the break, first drawing level and then moving 2-1 ahead in first-half stoppage time.
The hosts struck again nine minutes after the restart, leaving Chelle’s side facing a two-goal deficit at 3-1.
Nigeria could have folded.
Instead, the pressure shifted.
Edokpolor, a 19-year-old debutant introduced from the bench, drove at the Russian defence and scored in the 78th minute to cut the deficit to one.
That goal changed the closing stages. Nigeria pushed higher, Chelle continued to use his bench, and Russia were forced to protect a lead that had looked comfortable only minutes earlier.
Adams delivers at the death
Nigeria’s persistence finally broke Russia in stoppage time.
The NFF said Emmanuel Fernandez started the decisive counter with a header from defence before Abdullahi squared the ball for Adams, who converted the 94th-minute equaliser.
From 3-1 down, Nigeria had escaped with a 3-3 draw.
The result also carried significance beyond the scoreline.
Only six members of Nigeria’s starting XI had previously played for the senior national team, while nine players ultimately made their Super Eagles debuts.
For a side coming into the game after a 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau, the response under pressure gave Chelle fresh evidence about the depth available beyond his established core.
There are still defensive questions after conceding three goals, and a friendly draw cannot erase them.
But at 3-1 down, with a youthful and heavily changed side on foreign soil, Nigeria found another gear.
Edokpolor opened the door.
Adams kicked it down in the 94th minute.
For Chelle, the draw delivered something the scoreline alone cannot fully measure: competition inside the Super Eagles just became harder to ignore.
