Odemwingie Praises Arokodare's Smart Move in Nigeria's Draw with Russia

Former Super Eagles attacker Peter Odemwingie has praised striker Tolu Arokodare for his intelligent play during Nigeria's 1-1 draw with Russia in Friday's international friendly match.

Arokodare, who plays for Belgian club Genk, scored his first goal for the national team after intercepting a misplaced pass from Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov.

Speaking to Championat, Odemwingie highlighted the striker's clever movement that led to the goal: "[Matvey] Safonov made a mistake. But Arokodare also made a very smart move."

"In English, this is called a double run: Arokodare went to press as if to the right, and when Safonov lowered his eyes, he changed direction and ran to the left and intercepted the pass to the defender," the former Nigeria international explained.

High Pressing Tactics Pay Off

Odemwingie further noted the effectiveness of Nigeria's pressing strategy: "Now many teams include high pressing, and it brought success to the Nigerian team."

The goal marked a significant milestone for the 23-year-old Arokodare, who will be hoping to build on this performance when the World Cup qualifiers resume later this year under coach Eric Chelle's guidance.

The friendly match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, provided valuable preparation for the Super Eagles ahead of their upcoming competitive fixtures.

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