Super Eagles manager, Eric Chelle attributed Nigeria's dramatic 3-3 draw against Russia to second-half tactical modifications in the forward line, which allowed his side to capitalize on fast-break transitions in the closing stages of Tuesday's international friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.
Nigeria took an early lead in the 10th minute through Kelechi Iheanacho, but Russia seized control before the interval with goals from Lechi Sadulaev and Matvey Kislyak. Aleksey Miranchuk extended the host nation's advantage to 3-1 early in the second period, putting the Super Eagles under heavy pressure following their recent 3-0 AFCON qualifying setback against Guinea-Bissau.
Speaking during his post-match press conference, Chelle acknowledged that Russia dominated the late stages of the first half and the early momentum of the second half. However, strategic substitutions and structural tweaks up front re-established Nigeria's attacking threat.
"This represents a draw. We achieved a significant moment at the beginning of the first half. They possessed substantial moments at the conclusion of the first half," Chelle stated.
"In the opening of the second half, the situation remained comparable. We discovered a resolution because tactically we implemented adjustments regarding our strikers.
During the concluding phase of the second half, they failed to identify a resolution, and consequently we achieved two goals through transitional play."
The tactical shift paid off when Peter Edokpolor reduced the deficit before substitute Akor Adams turned home a 94th-minute equalizer following a swift counter-attack. Chelle praised the resilience of his squad which featured nine debutants commending their determination to erase the two-goal deficit.
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