Between June 2025 and October 2026, the Super Eagles have played Russia twice.
Doesn’t feel like a lot of games, right?
But when the second fixture was announced, plenty of Nigerians had the same reaction:
“Why always Russia?”
“We no dey play top countries?”
“Every time Russia!”
And to be fair, you could understand where the frustration was coming from.
Russia has been excluded from FIFA and UEFA competitions since 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, meaning their national team has largely been restricted to friendly matches and other non-competitive fixtures.
So while other countries are busy playing World Cup qualifiers, AFCON qualifiers and Nations League games, Russia has had to rely heavily on international friendlies to keep its national team active.
Nigeria, meanwhile, has now faced them twice in a relatively short period.
And the latest meeting on October 6 ended in a crazy 3-3 draw.
But that’s not actually our story today.
Because that whole “Why always Russia?” conversation got us thinking…
Which country has Nigeria actually played the most in friendly matches?
And here’s where it gets interesting.
It isn’t Russia.
It isn’t Brazil.
It isn’t Argentina.
It isn’t England.
It’s Ghana.
Yes, Ghana.
The same Ghana we already have a rivalry with.
The same Ghana that gives us the “Jollof” banter.
Nigeria and Ghana have been playing each other for decades, and their meetings haven’t been limited to World Cup qualifiers and AFCON battles.
They have also repeatedly met in friendly matches, meaning that even when there isn’t a trophy, qualification or tournament place on the line, these two countries somehow keep finding their way back onto the same pitch.
Their friendly meetings go back to the 1950s and include recent games such as:
Nigeria 2–1 Ghana — March 2024
Nigeria 2–1 Ghana — May 2025
Nigeria 3–1 Ghana — May 2003
Ghana 0–1 Nigeria — December 2002
Nigeria 0–0 Ghana — August 1999
Nigeria 0–0 Ghana — March 1994
The first recorded friendly between Nigeria and Ghana was actually played in 1950, when Ghana was still known as the Gold Coast.
Gold Coast 1–0 Nigeria
28 May 1950 — Gold Coast
There is, however, an interesting wrinkle: RSSSF records an earlier unofficial meeting in 1938, when Nigeria reportedly beat the Gold Coast 3–1 at King George V Stadium in Lagos. Because that game is classified as unofficial, the commonly recognised international head-to-head starts with the 1950 match.
Russia might be appearing regularly these days, but when it comes to Nigeria’s friendly history, there’s another country that has been around much longer.
Ghana.
And that rivalry isn’t going anywhere
