Moses Simon says Nigeria are determined to beat Russia in Tuesday’s international friendly after insisting the Super Eagles did not make the long journey simply to suffer another defeat.
Speaking at Monday’s pre-match press conference before the game at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, the Paris FC winger said Nigeria’s players were fully committed to delivering a positive result.
“We didn’t come here to lose, we can’t fly for long hours to come here to lose, we came to win also,” Simon said.
“I’m not the only star, every young player in the team is also a star. This is our job, we go everywhere to play, we signed for it so we will go and give everything.”
The 30-year-old is among the most experienced players in Nigeria’s 19-man squad and is expected to captain the side against Russia.
Captain Wilfred Ndidi, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Raphael Onyedika are all absent after withdrawing because of injuries and club clearance issues, leaving coach Eric Chelle with a largely experimental group.
Nigeria go into the match under pressure following a 3-0 defeat by Guinea-Bissau in Bissau in last week’s 2027 AFCON qualifier.
Chelle has recalled Kelechi Iheanacho, who has scored 11 goals in eight matches for Turkish second division club Bursaspor.
The fixture provides Nigeria with an opportunity to respond to the setback, while Russia will be aiming to claim a first victory over the Super Eagles after the teams drew 1-1 in Moscow in June, 2025.
Russia are unbeaten in their last four matches and will be seeking to go one better in front of their home supporters.
Simon’s comments reflect the importance Nigeria have placed on the encounter despite the absence of several established players. The winger said the squad’s younger members also had a responsibility to perform, rejecting the idea that the team’s ambition depended only on its more experienced names.
Nigeria and Russia will meet at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday.