Nigeria's Super Eagles rescued a dramatic 3-3 draw against Russia in a friendly played at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday, with substitutes playing a decisive role in clawing back the result. Here is how each player rated on the night.
Super Eagles Fight Back to Share Spoils With Russia in Six-Goal Thriller
Nigeria's Super Eagles rescued a dramatic 3-3 draw against Russia in a friendly played at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday, with substitutes playing a decisive role in clawing back the result. Here is how each player rated on the night.
Goalkeepers and defenders
Samuel James — 5/10. A composed debut between the posts for James, who showed promising signs despite conceding three times. The goalkeeper demonstrated enough quality to suggest he can push for a regular place in the squad.
Abdullahi Bewene — 6/10. The standout performer among the defenders. Bewene was energetic and assured at right-back, signalling that he is ready to challenge for a starting berth.
Benjamin Fredrick — 6/10. The Brentford centre-back marked his return to the Super Eagles setup with a solid, composed display. Fredrick looked assured and kept his shape well throughout.
Emmanuel Fernandez — 4/10. A frustrating evening for the Rangers defender. Fernandez was culpable for the careless loss of possession that led directly to Russia's opening goal and was unconvincing in several other moments.
Isaac James — 4/10. A demanding debut at left-back. James found the occasion difficult and will need to sharpen his consistency to make a genuine case for regular selection.
Midfielders
Aderemi Adeoye — 5/10. The Ikorodu City man began brightly and showed flashes of quality, but his influence waned as the game wore on. He made way for Peter Edokpolor with 20 minutes left on the clock.
Michael Stephen — 4/10. Struggled to impose himself on the game and failed to leave a meaningful mark on his debut. Stephen was withdrawn at half-time in favour of Akor Adams.
George Wilfred — 5/10. An anonymous performance for long stretches. Wilfred flickered in and out of the contest without ever taking control of proceedings — an average night's work.
Forwards
Chibuzo Nwoko — 5/10. The Fulham forward put in a committed shift and contributed positively before being replaced by Vince Osuji seven minutes from the final whistle.
Moses Simon — 4/10. A night to forget for the captain. Simon struggled to drive the team forward or impose his quality, and he was substituted with 20 minutes remaining, replaced by Abubakar Umar.
Kelechi Iheanacho — 5/10. The Bursaspor striker gave Nigeria the lead with the game's opening goal, but that moment of quality proved to be his sole meaningful contribution before he was hauled off at half-time.
Substitutes
Abdullahi Umar — 4/10. Introduced in place of Iheanacho at the interval, Umar was involved in the build-up to Nigeria's third goal and offered some spark off the bench.
Akor Adams — 4/10. The Venezia striker was the hero deep in stoppage time, finishing with composure to score Nigeria's equaliser and deny Russia victory.
Peter Edokpolor — 4/10. The Benfica man made an instant impact after coming on, scoring Nigeria's second goal with a sublime finish that reignited the comeback.
Abubakar Umar — 4/10. Went close to adding his own name to the scoresheet before turning provider, assisting Akor Adams' crucial late equaliser.
Vince Osuji — Not rated.


