Nigeria were heading for defeat in Nizhny Novgorod when A. Adams broke Russian hearts. His goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time, 90 plus four, saved a 3-3 draw for the Super Eagles in Tuesday's friendly at the Sovcombank Arena, a game that had swung first one way and then the other.
Iheanacho strikes first, then Russia take over
Nigeria started better. Kelechi Iheanacho scored in the 10th minute, with Bewene providing the pass, and for a while the visitors looked comfortable. But the home side steadily took control of the ball and the territory. L. Sadulaev levelled in the 30th minute after a pass from M. Kislyak, and Kislyak then scored himself in first-half stoppage time, 45 plus two, to send Russia in at the break 2-1 up.
A. Miranchuk made it 3-1 in the 54th minute, finishing a move that A. Sobolev set up. By then the numbers favoured the home side heavily: Russia finished with 62.7 per cent of possession, 17 shots to Nigeria's 10 and 45 touches in the opposition box to Nigeria's 10. Nigeria, by contrast, won the aerial battle by nine duels to three and made the most of what little they had.
Edokpolor and Adams drag Nigeria back
P. Edokpolor gave the Super Eagles a way back in the 78th minute with a goal that made it 3-2, and from there Nigeria played as if they believed a point was possible. It came in the dying seconds. Abubakar supplied the pass for Adams, who scored in the fourth minute of added time to make it 3-3. It was a night for the bench. Adams was introduced at half-time, and Edokpolor and Abubakar both came on in the 70th minute, so all three men who shaped the late comeback were substitutes.
What the draw tells us
A friendly rarely tells you much, but the details are worth noting. Russia created a lot, with eight shots off target and seven corners, and still conceded twice in the last 16 minutes. Nigeria rode their luck at times, yet each side hit the target six times and each goalkeeper made three saves, so the scoreline was fair on the chances. For Nigeria, a late recovery away from home is the kind of result a squad takes confidence from. For Russia, it is another game they will feel they should have closed out.
Match facts: Football Union of Russia 3-3 Nigeria, international friendly, Sovcombank Arena, Tuesday 6 October 2026. Half-time: Russia 2-1. Goals per BBC Sport: Iheanacho 10' (assist A. Bewene) (Nigeria); L. Sadulaev 30' (assist M. Kislyak), M. Kislyak 45'+2, A. Miranchuk 54' (assist A. Sobolev) (Russia); P. Edokpolor 78', A. Adams 90'+4 (assist U. Abubakar) (Nigeria). Possession 62.7%-37.3%; shots 17-10; on target 6-6; corners 7-3.
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