The Russian national football team’s impressive winning streak came to an end after a 1-1 draw against Nigeria in a friendly match held at Luzhniki Stadium. This result also broke the team’s remarkable shutout streak, which had lasted for 845 minutes.

The match saw Nigeria equalize in the 72nd minute, ending Russia’s year-and-a-half-long streak of not conceding a goal. Tolu Arokodare capitalized on a weak pass by Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov to score the equalizing goal.

The first half saw a tightly contested affair with few scoring opportunities for both sides. Russia took the lead in the 27th minute when Nigerian defender Semi Ajayi inadvertently directed the ball into his own net while attempting to intercept a cross from Danil Krugov. Nigeria had a chance to equalize in the 37th minute, but Fisayo Dele-Bashiru was unable to beat Safonov in a one-on-one situation.

Early in the second half, Viktor Melekhin, making his debut for the Russian national team, missed a clear opportunity to extend Russia’s lead, shooting wide from close range. Late in the game, Dmitry Barinov almost secured a victory for Russia, but his shot hit the crossbar.

Prior to the match, Russia was on an eight-game winning streak with a combined score of 44-0. The team was also ranked 35th in the FIFA rankings, while Nigeria was ranked 43rd. The Nigerian team, though missing some key players due to injuries and family reasons, presented a significant challenge for the Russian squad. The match served as a test for the Russian team to assess their level against strong opposition.

The starting lineup for Russia included Matvey Safonov in goal and featured four players from Rostov. The team was without key midfielders Alexey Miranchuk and Alexander Golovin. Nigeria’s squad featured Victor Boniface, a striker from Bayer Leverkusen. The Russian national team is scheduled to play against Belarus in Minsk on June 10.