Super Eagles winger Moses Simon has declared that Nigeria are determined to return to winning ways when they take on Russia in an international friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium at 5 p.m. today, October 6.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Simon made the declaration during Monday’s pre-match press conference as the Super Eagles prepare to face Russia for the second time in 16 months.

Nigeria will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier last week.

“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.

The Paris FC winger also stressed that the team’s success does not depend on one individual, insisting that every player in the squad has an important role to play.

“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,” he added.

Simon is among the most experienced players in the 19-man squad following the withdrawals of captain Wilfred Ndidi, Raphael Onyedika, Bright Osayi-Samuel and four other players due to injuries, club restrictions and other circumstances.

The experienced winger is expected to captain the Super Eagles against Russia as head coach Éric Chelle works with a depleted squad.

Late invitee Ibrahim Ajasa of FC Rostov has since joined the team in Russia, bringing the number of available players to 19.

Kelechi Iheanacho has also returned to the squad after enjoying a prolific spell with Turkish second-tier side Bursaspor, where he has scored 11 goals in eight matches.

Russia, meanwhile, will enter the encounter on the back of an unbeaten run in their last four matches and will be aiming to secure another victory in front of their home supporters.

Nigeria and Russia previously met in June 2025, with both sides playing out a 1-1 draw at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

The Super Eagles held their final training session at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Monday evening, October 5, ahead of Tuesday’s encounter.

The House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify candidates whose names are not listed in the membership registers of the political parties that nominated them.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The committee made the demand in a letter addressed to INEC, urging the electoral body to enforce the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 following a recent judgment by the Supreme Court.

The letter, signed by the committee chairman, Bayo Balogun, specifically cited Section 77 of the Act and urged all registered political parties to ensure full compliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The directive followed last month’s Supreme Court ruling, which restored key provisions of the Electoral Act relating to political party membership registers and the nomination of candidates.

Balogun recalled that INEC, in a position issued on July 26, 2026, had raised concerns over previous court decisions and pending litigation concerning the interpretation and enforcement of Section 77.

He noted that the commission’s position was understandable at the time, as INEC sought to avoid taking administrative steps that could subsequently be affected by a final judicial ruling.

However, the lawmaker said the Supreme Court’s latest judgment had changed the situation by resolving the uncertainty surrounding the disputed provisions and paving the way for their enforcement.

Balogun therefore urged INEC to conduct an audit of candidates submitted by all political parties for the 2027 elections.

He said the commission should verify that the names of the candidates appear on the membership registers earlier submitted by their respective parties to INEC, as required under Section 77(5) of the Electoral Act.

According to him, strict enforcement of the provisions would also help prevent a possible wave of legal disputes involving political parties and candidates who fail to meet the statutory requirements.

A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court had in September upheld INEC’s appeal and restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Adamu Jauro, the apex court held that the provisions earlier nullified by the Court of Appeal were not inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution.

The Supreme Court consequently overturned the Court of Appeal’s judgment and restored the decision of the Federal High Court, which had dismissed a suit filed by the Zenith Labour Party challenging the provisions.

Section 77(5) stipulates that only members whose names appear on a political party’s membership register submitted to INEC at least 21 days before a primary, congress or convention can participate in the exercise.

Section 77(6) prohibits political parties from using any membership register other than the one submitted to INEC for their primaries, congresses and conventions.

Under Section 77(7), a political party that fails to submit its membership register within the stipulated timeframe is barred from sponsoring a candidate in an election.

Meanwhile, Section 84(2) provides that political parties shall nominate candidates for elective posit

Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle says his players are eager to return to winning ways when Nigeria take on Russia in an international friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium at 5 p.m. today, October 6.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Super Eagles will be seeking a strong response after suffering a 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in last Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.

Despite several key absences, Chelle believes his team can deliver an improved performance against Russia.

Captain Wilfred Ndidi and Basel defender Victory Akpe are ruled out through injury, while Bright Osayi-Samuel, Raphael Onyedika and Ridwan Abdulrasaq Popoola were not released by their respective clubs.

Moses Usor, who scored on his Super Eagles debut against Madagascar on September 25, also missed the trip after his Austrian club, LASK, instructed him to remain with the team.

Slavia Prague midfielder Suleiman Mubarak was another absentee after his residence permit was not secured in time for the trip.

Despite the setbacks, Chelle sees the friendly as an opportunity for new players to showcase their abilities and help Nigeria bounce back from the disappointing result against Guinea-Bissau.

“Some clubs don’t want the players to come, so we have to manage the situation. We lost our last game, and the expectation for this game is to allow the new players to show what they can do,” Chelle told reporters on Monday.

“We are motivated. The players want to win, and they want to give their best for the jersey and the country,” he added.

The Franco-Malian tactician attributed Nigeria’s defeat to Guinea-Bissau to a lack of intensity and expects his players to respond with greater determination against Russia.

“This is not the same team. We lost the game against Guinea-Bissau because our intensity was not good. It’s going to be a different game,” Chelle said.

He also expects Russia to provide a difficult test, particularly because of the team’s aggressive approach when out of possession.

“The Russian team plays with a lot of intensity too. When they don’t have the ball, they are always aggressive. I want my team to play the same way too,” Chelle said.

“If we play that way tomorrow, I will be very happy. I want to see a good game and a good performance from the players,” he added.