Super Eagles: 2 NPFL stars lead charge as Nigeria’s camp opens ahead of Russia friendly

​The Super Eagles camp has opened in Moscow ahead of their international friendly against Russia next week, Soccernet.ng reports.

​With their first two qualifying matches for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations completed, head coach Éric Chelle will lead Nigeria into the fixture on October 6th. The match is scheduled to take place at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium and promises to be a stern test for Chelle and his squad.

​Chelle originally named a 24-man squad for the encounter, though late changes have already occurred after Victory Akpeyi and Wilfred Ndidi withdrew. This prompted call-ups for Tromso star Vince Osuji and John Otomewo.

​Because Chelle intends to use this window to evaluate fresh talent ahead of the upcoming Under-23 AFCON qualifiers, the roster is largely composed of debutants. With kickoff just four days away, preparations are officially underway.

📋 Eric Chelle names squads for September and October 2026 Fixtures. pic.twitter.com/W3zThCDUfE

— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) September 17, 2026

​NPFL Stars Among Early Arrivals in Super Eagles Camp

​On Friday afternoon, the Super Eagles media team confirmed that seven players had reported to camp.

​While the team has not released the full list of early arrivals, Soccernet.ng understands that two Euromatch NPFL-based players are among them. They are Ikorodu City goalkeeper Michael Atata and midfielder Aderemi Adeoye. The remaining squad members are expected to arrive between today and tomorrow, as Chelle steps up preparations.

​For most of these players, this marks their first taste of senior international football, so they will be looking to impress coach Chelle and enter his good books.

The last meeting between Nigeria and Russia ended in a 1-1 draw at the Luzhniki Stadium. Considering Russia’s three-match winning streak and Nigeria’s heavily rotated squad, securing another draw would be an impressive result for Chelle's side.