Russia vs Nigeria: Eric Chelle Drops Wilfred Ndidi, Replaces Him With Youngster
- Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle named a replacement for captain Wilfred Ndidi ahead of Nigeria's friendly match against Russia
- Ndidi, who played in both AFCON 2027 qualifying games, will not be available for the fixture at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium
- Chelle is using the Russia friendly to assess players he hopes to deploy for the upcoming Olympics qualifiers
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Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has drafted a replacement for captain Wilfred Ndidi in Nigeria's squad for the friendly match against Russia, scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.
Ndidi had featured in both of Nigeria's 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, which Nigeria won and lost one.
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As noted by NFF, he was among eight players from the AFCON campaign included in the initial Russia-friendly squad. However, the Besiktas midfielder will not travel for the match, with no official reason given for his absence.
Eric Chelle invites Ndidi’s replacement
Following Ndidi's withdrawal, Chelle moved quickly to bolster his options by inviting John Otomewo to link up with the squad, according to OwnGoal Nigeria. The Reims midfielder's call-up adds midfield cover as Nigeria prepare for the game in Russia.
The Nigeria Football Federation handed him responsibility for the Under-23 national team, and the coach intends to use the occasion to evaluate players he is considering for the upcoming Olympic qualifiers.
Several younger players in the squad are therefore expected to get significant minutes as Chelle weighs his options for that competition.
The friendly is set to take place at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday, October 6, giving Chelle the opportunity to run the rule over fringe and emerging players before competitive action resumes.
Russia coach sends message to Nigeria
Legit.ng previously reported that Russia coach Valery Karpin sent a message to the Super Eagles of Nigeria ahead of the international friendly match.
Karpin believes that Nigeria’s position on the FIFA rankings is a testament to how good they are and he expects a tough match on October 6.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
