AFCON 2025
Valery Karpi, coach of the Russian men’s senior national football team, has reacted to Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, and other Super Eagles first-team members’ absence ahead of Friday’s friendly match.
Karpi says, despite the absence of the key players, the Super Eagles are still a formidable squad, and the players that will prosecute the match are not below the level of the absentees.
He also noted that the current players haven’t worked with coach Eric Chelle for long, so individual brilliance from the players is noticeable, and the coaching staff has made some adjustments.
Valery Karpi shared his thoughts with the official website of the Russian Football Federation ahead of the match.
First of all, the level of the players is impressive. Yes, Osimhen and Lookman will not come, but the other players are definitely not below the level.
The team has not been working with the current coach for very long, so individual actions are more noticeable for now.
It is clear that the coaching staff is already making some adjustments, but to say that everything is fine-tuned is not that.
Eric Chelle will be without at least eight of his first team players as the Super Eagles take on Russia at the beautiful Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
However, the team is still fresh off winning the Unity Cup last week, with the likes of Victor Boniface, Fisayo-Dele Bashiru joining up with the rest of the team in the Russian capital.
The Super Eagles will hold their first training session on Tuesday evening as they begin preparation for the fixture.
