Islamabad, 25 March 2025: Despite being sidelined from major international tournaments due to the war in Ukraine, Russia’s national football team continues to secure matches against willing opponents.
Several African nations have recently scheduled friendlies with Russia, highlighting longstanding diplomatic and sporting ties.
In the past year, Russia has played friendly matches against Syria, Belarus, Brunei, Grenada, Vietnam, and Serbia. Before that, teams from Iran, Qatar, Cuba, and Iraq also faced them.
Russia has won its last seven matches, scoring 31 goals without conceding any.
Beyond countries with direct political connections to Moscow, African teams have increasingly engaged with Russia.
Egypt’s under-23 squad played a friendly in September 2023, followed by Cameroon, Kenya, and now Zambia, which is set to face Russia on March 25.
Nigeria is also scheduled to travel to Moscow for a match in June.
Sydney Mungala, the Zambia FA’s communications director, explained that the decision to play Russia was made purely for football reasons.
He mentioned that Zambia had been left without a fixture after Eritrea withdrew from World Cup qualifiers over concerns that players might seek asylum.
Another scheduled match against the Republic of Congo was also canceled due to FIFA sanctions.
Mungala emphasized that the game was not politically motivated but rather an opportunity to keep the team active during the international window.
He also pointed to Zambia and Russia’s long-standing relationship, dating back 60 years.
Russia was among the first nations to support Zambia after its independence in 1964 and has maintained a strong presence in the country.
Nigeria, however, has remained quiet about its upcoming friendly with Russia.
Unlike Zambia, which publicly promoted the match as a reflection of friendship, Nigeria’s football federation has made no official announcement.
Sports analysts believe this may indicate a cautious diplomatic stance rather than outright support for Russia.
Russia has long used soft power to build influence in Africa, offering scholarships to African students and engaging in cultural and sporting exchanges.
As diplomatic isolation from the West continues, friendly matches like these may serve as a way for Russia to maintain its global presence through sport.
