Nigeria vs Russia: Ex-Spartak defender Martin Mor expects a high-scoring friendly, even with Osimhen and other stars absent from the Super Eagles lineup.
Former Spartak Moscow defender Martin Mor has shared his expectations for the upcoming friendly between Nigeria and Russia, highlighting the absence of several key Nigerian players, including prolific striker Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen, who scored an impressive 42 goals in 47 appearances during the 2024–25 season, has been deliberately omitted from Nigeria’s international fixtures in May and June to minimize injury risk ahead of a potential transfer.
Other notable absentees include Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Kelechi Iheanacho, Nathan Tella, and Umar Sadiq, due to personal reasons or injuries.
Despite these omissions, Mor believes Nigeria still poses a significant attacking threat.
He noted that players like Belgian Pro League Golden Boot winner Tolu Arokodare and Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface are set to feature in the match.
“They are stronger in attack than all the opponents we have played,” Mor commented.
However, he expressed concerns about Nigeria’s defense, suggesting that the Super Eagles might not exert much effort to prevent conceding goals.
Mor predicts a high-scoring encounter, stating, “The Russian national team will score more and win. The match will be very goal-oriented. At the very least, they will create problems for us. The Nigerians can very well score.”
The friendly match is scheduled to take place in Moscow on Friday evening, with both teams looking to test their squads ahead of future competitive fixtures.
