Simon hails Eagles youngsters

Super Eagles forward Moses Simon has praised Nigeria’s young players following their impressive 3-3 comeback draw against Russia in an international friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday.

Nigeria took the lead through Kelechi Iheanacho but soon found themselves trailing 3-1 after Russia responded with three goals. The Super Eagles refused to give up and staged a strong fightback in the second half. Debutant Peter Edokpolor reduced the deficit before Akor Adams scored a dramatic equaliser in stoppage time to secure a share of the spoils.

The friendly provided head coach Éric Chelle with a valuable opportunity to assess several players, as nine members of the squad made their senior international debuts. Only six of the players who started the match had previously featured for the Super Eagles, highlighting the largely inexperienced nature of the team that faced Russia.

Simon, one of the few experienced players in the starting line-up, reflected on the performance and expressed admiration for the character shown by the younger members of the squad.

Writing on X, the Paris FC forward said: “A tough atmosphere, a demanding test, but these young players stood tall and showed real character to earn a commendable draw.”

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He went further to highlight the qualities he believes the emerging players displayed during the contest. “The talent, courage and composure on display offer plenty of reasons to believe in a brighter and greater future for this team,” Simon added.

The experienced winger concluded his message with an optimistic assessment of the team’s prospects, stating: “The future is looking good for our country.”

The result offered Nigeria a positive response after their 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their previous outing. It also gave Chelle useful insight into the depth and potential available within his squad as he continues to build towards future competitions.

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