Wilfred Ndidi Withdraws from Nigeria-Russia Friendly Clash

Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has withdrawn from Nigeria’s international friendly against Russia scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, 2026, leaving head coach Éric Chelle without one of the most experienced players originally selected for the encounter.

Ndidi, who plays for Turkish club Beşiktaş, was named captain of Chelle’s 24-man squad announced in September for the friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium. However, on October 2, it was confirmed that the midfielder will no longer feature in the match. The reason for his withdrawal has not been publicly confirmed.

The development comes as the Super Eagles begin preparations for their second meeting with Russia in 16 months. The Nigeria Football Federation had earlier confirmed that the two countries would meet in Nizhny Novgorod following their 1-1 draw in Moscow in June 2025. Tolu Arokodare scored Nigeria’s equaliser in that encounter.

Nigeria has already begun assembling its squad in Russia. Members of the technical and backroom staff, alongside some players from the Nigeria Premier Football League invited for the friendly, departed Abuja on Thursday. Most of the foreign-based players are expected to travel directly from their respective clubs and join the squad in Russia.

Chelle is also expected to link up with the team in Russia after not returning with the Super Eagles from Guinea-Bissau, where Nigeria suffered a 3-0 defeat in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture on September 29. The Russia game therefore comes at a point when the coach is balancing immediate preparation with the longer-term development of his squad.

The Russia fixture was deliberately structured around a different group of players from the squad used for Nigeria’s AFCON qualifying matches. The NFF’s original 24-man list included established internationals such as Moses Simon, Stanley Nwabali, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Benjamin Fredricks, Raphael Onyedika and Akor Adams.

Kelechi Iheanacho was also recalled for the friendly after an absence from the national team. His return provides another attacking option as Chelle evaluates players for future international assignments.

The match is also expected to provide opportunities for several players seeking their first senior appearances for Nigeria. Among those included in the original squad are Peter Edokpolor of Benfica, Abubakar Umar of Famalicão, Abdullahi Umar of Hradec Králové, Michael Atata of Ikorodu City and Samuel James of SJK FC.

Other new faces include Isaac James of Alverca, Victory Akpe of Basel, Chibuzo Nwoko of Fulham, Stephen Michael of Vendsyssel, Igor Wilfred of Kristiansund, Ridwan Abdulrasaq of Al Wasl, Suleiman Mubarak of Slavia Prague and Aderemi Adeoye of Ikorodu City.

Ndidi’s withdrawal consequently removes the originally designated captain and one of the squad’s experienced midfielders from the fixture. Nevertheless, the composition of the squad indicates that the friendly is also intended to assess emerging talent and provide Chelle with a closer look at players who could become part of Nigeria’s wider senior-team setup.

The October 6 encounter will take place at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, a venue with a capacity of about 44,000 spectators and one of the stadiums used during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The NFF has described the fixture as the second meeting between Nigeria and Russia in 16 months.

For Nigeria, the game follows the disappointing defeat in Guinea-Bissau and offers the Super Eagles an opportunity to continue assessing their squad under Chelle. With Ndidi now unavailable and several uncapped players included, attention will be on how the coaching staff reorganises the team and distributes responsibility ahead of the friendly.

Obaland magazine will continue to monitor developments surrounding the Super Eagles, including any official clarification on Ndidi’s withdrawal and the final squad available for the Russia fixture.

Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has withdrawn from Nigeria’s October 6, 2026 friendly against Russia as Eric Chelle prepares an experimental squad for the Nizhny Novgorod clash.