Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle has attributed his side's remarkable fightback against Russia to a tactical adjustment in attack, after the Super Eagles salvaged a 3-3 draw in Tuesday's friendly.

The Super Eagles had taken the lead through Kelechi Iheanacho in the 10th minute, only for Russia to turn the match around and surge to a 3-1 advantage — threatening to hand Chelle's squad a sobering defeat.

Debutants deliver late drama

A pair of late interventions rescued Nigeria's pride. Benfica teenager Peter Edokpolor, 19, marked his international debut with a goal in the 78th minute, before Akor Adams struck in the 94th minute to secure the point.

The build-up to Adams' equaliser had its own near-miss: fellow debutant Umar Abubakar — who provided the assist — came close to levelling in the 91st minute, only to be denied by an outstanding save from the Russian goalkeeper.

Chelle explains the turning point

Speaking after the final whistle, Chelle was candid about how his changes shifted the contest. "The game was good for both teams. Russia had momentum towards the end of the first half, and in the beginning of the second half it was the same. But we found a solution because tactically we changed something about our strikers and they couldn't find a solution — and this is why we scored two goals in transition," he said.

The Malian coach added that the mental fortitude shown by his players pleased him greatly. "The state of mind of my team was very good. I'm proud of my players," Chelle said.

Debutants in line for AFCON qualifier call-up

With several first-team regulars unavailable — their clubs refusing to release them for the friendly — Chelle was forced to lean heavily on fringe and youth players. Many made their senior debuts in Moscow, and their performances have not gone unnoticed.

The coach revealed that some of those players, initially earmarked for the U-23 setup, could now feature in the Super Eagles' 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. Nigeria are set to face Tanzania in the qualifier in November.

"We had two objectives — the 2027 AFCON and the Olympic Games. We had problems bringing some players because their clubs didn't allow them. So we came with some of the players who we plan to use for the U-23, and with what they showed us, maybe some of them will be in the Super Eagles in the next FIFA window," Chelle said.