{
  "id": 12458332,
  "title": "Super Eagles come from behind twice to draw Russia 3-3",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/super-eagles-come-from-behind-twice-to-draw-russia-3-3",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-06T20:16:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/super-eagles-come-from-behind-twice-to-draw-russia-3-3/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Super Eagles staged a remarkable comeback to secure a 3-3 draw against Russia in a friendly international football match held at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday. Nigeria took the lead early in the game, with Kelechi Iheanacho scoring in the 10th minute. However, Russia equalised in the 30th minute through Lechi Sadulaev, and further extended their advantage with Matvey Kislyak's goal just before halftime. Russia went into the break leading 2-1, putting Nigeria under a significant pressure.\n\nDespite trailing by three goals, the Super Eagles refused to give up. Alexey Miranchuk added a third goal for Russia in the 54th minute, leaving Nigeria with a daunting 3-1 deficit to overcome. The Nigerian team rallied in the second half, with Peter Edokpolor pulling one back for Nigeria in the 78th minute. The game reached its climax in stoppage time, as Akor Adams finished off a superb goal to equalise the score at 3-3, denying Russia a victory. This result marked Nigeria's first unbeaten match against Russia, following their 1-1 draw in Moscow back in June 2025.\n\nNigeria entered the friendly with the aim of bouncing back from a 3-0 loss to Guinea-Bissau in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. The Super Eagles were also missing several key players, including captain Wilfred Ndidi, and several others withdrew or were unable to join the squad due to injuries and club restrictions. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) acknowledged that the weakened squad ahead of the friendly had \"seriously weakened\" their chances.\n\nRussia had entered the match in strong form, having thrashed Namibia 6-0 in their previous friendly. Nevertheless, Nigeria's late fightback provided a positive ending to an otherwise challenging international window for the Super Eagles. The journalist behind this story, Tosin Oyediran, is a seasoned reporter with Punch Newspapers, known for his sharp interviews and human-centered reporting on politics, health, advocacy, sports, and entertainment.",
  "summary": "Nigeria’s Super Eagles fought back from a two-goal deficit to secure a dramatic 3-3 draw against Russia in an international friendly in Nizhny Novgorod. Read More: https://punchng.com/super-eagles-come-from-behind-twice-to-draw-russia-3-3/",
  "key_points": [
    "Super Eagles defeat Russia 3-3 in friendly match",
    "Nigeria scored twice in second half to equalize",
    "First unbeaten match against Russia for Nigeria"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "Super Eagles come from behind twice to draw Russia 3-3",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/super-eagles-come-from-behind-twice-to-draw-russia-3-3-12459107",
        "published": "2026-10-06T20:20:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}