Seven Super Eagles Players Ruled Out of Russia Friendly

The Nigeria Football Federation has announced that no fewer than seven members of the Super Eagles squad will not be available for Tuesday's friendly with Russia. The absences stem from injuries, clubs declining to release players, and administrative problems tied to residence permits. The unavailable group includes captain Wilfred Ndidi, Raphael Onyedika, Moses Usor, Akpe Victory, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ridwan Abdulrasaq Popoola and Suleiman Mubarak. An official federation update said Ndidi picked up a knock in Nigeria's most recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea-Bissau. With the list of absentees growing, the technical staff added Vince Osuji as a replacement for the injured Akpe Victory. Reims midfielder John Otomewo was also summoned to fill in for Ndidi. Several other call-ups were prevented from travelling by clubs in Europe and the region. Raphael Onyedika (Frankfurt), Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham), Ridwan Abdulrasaq Popoola (Al-Wasl) and Moses Usor (LASK) were all held back by their teams. The coaching crew therefore has fewer tactical choices for the high-profile match in Russia.