Russia have sent a strong warning ahead of their international friendly against the Super Eagles after thrashing Namibia 6-0 in Yekaterinburg on Saturday.
The hosts took a narrow 1-0 lead into half-time before producing a dominant second-half display to complete a convincing victory.
Lechi Sadulaev opened the scoring in the 37th minute, finding the far corner after receiving the ball from Artyom Karpukas.
Russia then stepped up the pressure after the restart, with Danil Prutsev doubling their advantage in the 54th minute.
Konstantin Tyukavin added a third 11 minutes later before Maksim Glushenkov made it 4-0 in the 84th minute.
Glushenkov received a through ball from Maksim Petrov before lifting his finish over the Namibian goalkeeper.
Petrov then got his name on the scoresheet, converting a penalty for his first goal for the Russian national team.
Namibia’s difficult evening was completed in stoppage time when a corner from Glushenkov resulted in an own goal.
The Russian Football Union confirmed the 6-0 victory at Ekaterinburg Arena, with the match marking the first meeting between Russia and Namibia.
The result was Russia’s second victory of their current training camp. They defeated Iran 2-0 on September 29, with Aleksandr Golovin scoring both goals.
Russia will now turn their attention to Tuesday’s meeting with Nigeria at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.
The Super Eagles have already arrived in Russia for the encounter, which is scheduled for October 6.
Nigeria and Russia last faced each other in June 2025 in Moscow, when the two sides played out a 1-1 draw.
Russia took the lead in the 27th minute after Nigeria defender Semi Ajayi inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.
The Super Eagles responded in the second half, with Tolu Arokodare scoring in the 71st minute to restore parity.
The 2025 encounter was the first senior international meeting between the two countries.
Nigeria will now face a Russian side coming off back-to-back victories, having scored eight goals without conceding in their last two matches.
For the Super Eagles, Tuesday’s friendly offers another opportunity to assess the squad ahead of their upcoming competitive commitments.
The match in Nizhny Novgorod is expected to provide Nigeria with a stern test against a Russia side that has started its October camp in impressive scoring form.
