Russia head coach Valery Karpin has disagreed with Super Eagles manager Eric Chelle’s assessment of Nigeria’s dramatic 3-3 comeback draw in Tuesday’s international friendly in Nizhny Novgorod.
The Super Eagles fought back from two goals down to earn a share of the spoils after Russia had looked set for victory midway through the second half.
Nigeria took an early lead through Kelechi Iheanacho in the 10th minute, but goals from Lechi Sadulaev and Matvey Kislyak turned the game in Russia’s favour before the break.
Aleksey Miranchuk extended the hosts’ advantage in the 54th minute to make it 3-1 and put Russia firmly in control of the contest.
However, the Super Eagles responded strongly in the closing stages. Peter Edokpolor pulled a goal back in the 78th minute before Akor Adams struck deep into stoppage time to complete an impressive comeback.
Following the match, Chelle credited Nigeria’s resurgence to tactical adjustments made in attack during the second half.
Karpin, however, rejected that explanation, insisting that the comeback had little to do with tactical changes.
“What tactical changes? He introduced different players, and that was all. What additional tactical changes occurred?” Karpin said when asked about Chelle’s comments.
The Russian coach also dismissed suggestions that his side’s defensive structure was responsible for conceding three goals.
Instead, he blamed individual mistakes for Nigeria’s comeback.
“It was an accident. Completely. The first goal – it was evident what transpired. The situation surrounding the third goal was quite peculiar,” Karpin stated.
Despite seeing his team surrender a two-goal lead, Karpin insisted he never felt Russia were in danger of losing control of the game.
“No, there was no such concern. We maintained our superiority in the game. We conceded another goal following an error committed by our team during a goal kick,” he added.
The draw extended Nigeria’s unbeaten run under Chelle and provided another encouraging result for the Super Eagles as preparations continue for future competitive fixtures.
