By Dayo Awoniyi
Russia head coach Valery Karpin has warned that Nigeria remain a formidable side despite the absence of key forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman in Friday’s international friendly.
Osimhen and Lookman were both left out of the Super Eagles squad named by head coach Eric Chelle, sparking questions about Nigeria’s attacking options.
However, Karpin insists the absence of the high-profile duo does not weaken the West African giants significantly.
“Of course. I repeat, I would have liked to see Osimhen and Lookman play to test our team against the best,” Karpin said in a recent interview.
“But their absence certainly does not make Nigeria fundamentally weaker.”
The Super Eagles and Russia will clash at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow as both sides use the fixture to fine-tune preparations ahead of upcoming international competitions.
Karpin’s remarks reflect a cautious respect for the depth and quality in Nigeria’s squad, even without two of their most explosive attacking talents.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
