Moses Simon will captain Nigeria’s Super Eagles when they face Russia in an international friendly next Tuesday at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, taking charge of a reshaped squad as coach Eric Chelle assesses his options ahead of future fixtures.
The Paris FC winger left Abuja for Moscow with home-based players Chibuzor Atata, Aderemi Adeoye and Kenneth Igboke. With regular captain Wilfred Ndidi absent, Simon is the most experienced player in the traveling squad and will take on the leadership role against Russia.
Chelle has used the friendly to bring together established players and less experienced members of the national team, giving several players an opportunity to make their case for a more regular role. The squad includes goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, with Emmanuel Fernandez, Benjamin Fredrick and Bright Osayi-Samuel among the defenders.
Raphael Onyedika and Akor Adams are also part of the squad, adding experience in midfield and attack as Chelle continues to examine the depth available to him.
The coach has also recalled Kelechi Iheanacho, who has made a strong start to his time with Turkish club Bursaspor. His return gives Nigeria another experienced attacking option for the meeting in Nizhny Novgorod.
Several players could make their senior international debuts in the friendly. Akpe Victory, Suleiman Mubarak, Peter Edokpolor, Abdullahi Umar and Chibuzo Nwoko are among the uncapped players included in the squad.
For Simon, the match will be another opportunity to take on greater responsibility within the national team. His appointment as captain comes in the absence of Ndidi and gives him a central role in a squad that contains a mixture of familiar names and players still seeking to establish themselves at international level.
Nigeria and Russia will meet for the second time in 16 months, adding another chapter to a developing fixture between the two sides. With Chelle using the match to assess both experienced players and new options, the friendly will provide another test of the depth available to the Super Eagles.
