The Russian national football team’s impressive winning streak came to an end with a 1-1 draw against Nigeria in a match held at Luzhniki Stadium. The game saw an own goal by a Nigerian defender give Russia the lead, which was later nullified by a Nigerian equalizer, ending Russia’s remarkable goalless run.

The match pitted the 35th-ranked Russian team against the 43rd-ranked Nigerian squad. Despite Nigeria missing some key players due to injuries and family reasons, coach Valery Karpin anticipated a challenging test for his team. Similarly, Russia was without midfielders Alexey Miranchuk and Alexander Golovin.

The first half saw limited opportunities for both sides. Russia took the lead in the 27th minute when a cross from Danil Krugov was deflected into his own net by Nigerian defender Semi Ajayi. Nigeria almost responded in the 37th minute, but Matvey Safonov denied Fisayo Dele-Bashiru in a one-on-one situation.

After the break, Viktor Melekhin missed a chance to extend Russia’s lead in the 56th minute, shooting wide from close range. Nigeria then leveled the score in the 72nd minute after Safonov’s weak pass was intercepted by Tolu Arokodare, who slotted the ball into the net, ending Russia’s 845-minute goalless streak.

Late in the game, Dmitry Barinov almost secured a victory for Russia, but his shot hit the crossbar in the 88th minute. Ultimately, the match concluded in a 1-1 draw, halting Russia’s eight-game winning streak. Russia is scheduled to play against Belarus on June 10 in Minsk.