Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has declared that Nigeria’s team is in Moscow to win Friday’s international friendly encounter against Russia at the Luzhniki Stadium.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Ekong stressed that the team is focused solely on the task at hand, dismissing any notion that the trip is for leisure.He emphasised the importance of integrating new players into head coach Eric Chelle’s system as part of the squad’s ongoing development.
“We are here to win. It’s not a tourist trip,” Ekong stated firmly.
“As much as we like to enjoy what we see here, we are very much looking forward to the game. For some of the players, it is their first time with us, so they must understand what the coach expects.”
Ekong explained that the team is still adjusting to Chelle’s style, with the French coach having only started his tenure at the start of the year. The friendly offers an important opportunity to refine Nigeria’s progressive playing style and integrate fresh faces into the squad.
“We have a clear idea from the coach that we are still working on,” Ekong said.
“This match is another chance to develop our system and bring new players up to speed as we prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations later this year and the World Cup qualifiers.”
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Regarding their Russian opponents, Ekong admitted that he had little knowledge but confirmed that the team has studied extensive footage of Russia’s matches. The Super Eagles respect Russia’s strong record on home soil but are determined to disrupt their unbeaten run.
“We’ve watched a lot of video in the last few days to understand how Russia play and how they’ve prepared in their friendlies.
“They have an outstanding record here with many goals scored and no goals conceded, but we want to make the difference” Ekong explained.
Russia, sidelined from global tournaments since 2022, have maintained form through a series of friendlies, scoring 45 goals without conceding in their last eight matches. Nigeria, on the other hand, arrive after winning the Unity Cup in London and remain unbeaten in six games across all competitions.
Ekong acknowledged the significance of the fixture as Nigeria seek momentum ahead of crucial World Cup qualifiers in September. The Super Eagles are currently fourth in their group and face must-win matches against Rwanda, South Africa, Lesotho and Benin Republic.
“This game is part of a bigger project, we must continue to build as a team, learn the coach’s system, and ensure everyone is aligned for the challenges ahead. That includes the new players who have joined us recently,” Ekong said.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
