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Russian and Nigerian National Teams Draw in Friendly Match, Ending Russia’s Winning Streak

The Russian national football team’s winning streak ended with a 1-1 draw against Nigeria in a friendly match held at Luzhniki Stadium. The game saw an own goal by a Nigerian defender put Russia ahead, but a mistake by Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov allowed Nigeria to equalize.

The match saw limited opportunities for both sides in the first half, with Russia taking a slight edge in shots on goal. The deadlock was broken in the 27th minute when a cross from Danil Krugovoy was deflected into his own net by Nigerian defender Semi Ajayi, giving Russia a 1-0 lead. Nigeria had a chance to equalize in the 37th minute, but Matvey Safonov denied Fisayo Dele-Bashiru in a one-on-one situation.

Nigeria equalized in the 72nd minute after Safonov’s weak pass was intercepted by Tolu Arokodare, who slotted the ball into the net, ending Russia’s impressive run of 845 minutes without conceding a goal. Dmitry Barinov came close to restoring Russia’s lead in the 88th minute, but his shot hit the crossbar.

The Russian team entered the match with an eight-game winning streak and a year and a half without conceding. Prior to the match, Russia was ranked 35th in the FIFA rankings, while Nigeria was ranked 43rd. Several key players were absent from both sides. The starting lineup for Russia featured four players from Rostov. The result brings an end to Russia’s eight-game winning streak. The team is scheduled to play Belarus in Minsk on June 10.