Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has taken plenty of positives from Nigeria’s thrilling 3-3 draw with Russia in Nizhny Novgorod.
The Malian tactician watched his experimental side recover from 3-1 down to snatch a point in the fourth minute of added time.
Kelechi Iheanacho gave Nigeria an early lead before Russia turned the game around through Lechi Sadulaev, Matvey Kislyak and Aleksei Miranchuk.
Peter Edokpolor pulled one back in the 78th minute, and Akor Adams completed the dramatic comeback deep into stoppage time.
Speaking after the six-goal thriller, Chelle was pleased with the response from a heavily rotated squad that featured several debutants.
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“We dominated the first half, and the second, of course, was Russia’s. Then they couldn’t find a way to deal with what we offered them.
“In the end, we secured a draw. I’m happy with my team,” the coach said.
Chelle highlighted the tactical adjustment that helped Nigeria fight back, particularly in the way his strikers operated in transition during the closing stages.
He also praised the character shown by the young players who stepped up after several senior stars were unavailable.
The result offers a positive end to a difficult international window that began with a 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau.
Chelle will now use the coming days to assess which of the newcomers can force their way into his plans for the next AFCON qualifiers.