Monday June 2, 2025|
Russia’s manager, Valery Karpin, has dismissed claims that Nigeria’s squad is weakened for their upcoming friendly, despite the absence of star players Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.
Coach Eric Chelle opted to leave them out to give other players a chance and to avoid potential injuries ahead of summer transfers.
Along with Osimhen and Lookman, Fulham’s Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey will also miss the friendly after a demanding season.
Karpin emphasised that Nigeria remains a strong team while speaking in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda.
He stated, “Nigeria is one of the strongest opponents in the last three years. They can be put on a par with Cameroon and Serbia.
“Without Osimhen and Lookman, there will be other equally good footballers. Many media outlets say, ‘Nigeria is bringing a second team’ just because two leaders are not here.”
Karpin noted that his own squad is missing key players too, but he still looks forward to facing top performers like Kelechi Iheanacho and Victor Boniface.
“I would have preferred to have Osimhen and Lookman to test our team against the best players, but their absence does not make Nigeria fundamentally weaker.”
On his basic game plan for the Super Eagles, Karpin informed that: I already have a lineup in mind for both Nigeria and Belarus. But we have to take into account that we still have playoff matches ahead.”
