By ABDULRAHMAN YAHAYA

The Super Eagles of Nigeria held Russia to a 3-3 draw in an international friendly in Nizhny Novgorod on Tuesday.

In spite of fielding a depleted squad following the withdrawal of several players due to injuries and club restrictions, the Super Eagles held their own against a formidable Russian side.

Nigeria opened the scoring in the 11th minute through Kelechi Iheanacho, who fired home from the edge of the box to score his 15th international goal for the Super Eagles.

But Russia scored twice before the break as the Super Eagles struggled to remain solid in the defense.

The hosts extended their lead to 3-1 nine minutes into the second half, prompting the Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle, to introduce fresh legs from the bench.

Chelle’s substitutions paid off as Nigeria became more urgent in attack, with 19-year-old debutant Peter Edokpolor firing an unstoppable strike past the Russian goalkeeper to make it 3-2.

The Super Eagles restored parity in the 94th minute when striker Akor Adams finished off a counter-attack that was initiated by a brilliant header from Emmanuel Fernandez.

The game saw nine Nigerian players make their debut for the Super Eagles as Chelle continues to introduce new talents to his squad. (NAN)

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