Why Are African Teams Facing Off Against Russia in Football?

oleh admin | Mar 24, 2025 | africa, politics, russian, russian politics, sports

After Russia was prohibited from participating in competitive football following their invasion of Ukraine, they’ve mostly encountered supportive nations in friendly matches. Recently, more African teams are stepping up to play against them. What’s behind this trend?

Although they might be excluded from significant competitions and treated as outcasts globally, Russia isn’t facing many difficulties in locating adversaries eager for a match. Over the past year, they have competed against Syria, Belarus, Brunei, Grenada, and Vietnam.
Serbia
In friendly matches, Iran, Qatar, Cuba, and Iraq were part of the opponents prior to this. They have emerged victorious in each of their last seven encounters, netting 31 goals without allowing any in return.

However, beyond those teams clearly connected to the Kremlin, several African squads began playing friendly matches against Russia ahead of the 2018 World Cup. In September 2023—six months post-ban—an Egyptian U-23 team was among the first to face off against them. Subsequently, Cameroon journeyed to Moscow, followed shortly thereafter by Kenya’s match against them in Turkey later that same month. Nigeria plans to visit the Russian capital in June; however, before then, Zambia will be heading over on March 25.

Just a casual match, unrelated to our official competitions,” stated Sydney Mungala, the communication director at Zambia FA, to LIFEHACK. “From our standpoint in Zambia, this was purely a football-related choice.

Mungala stated that Zambia was left without a match scheduled for the March international window following Eritrea’s withdrawal.
2026 World Cup
Qualifying was allegedly halted out of concern that players might escape and apply for asylum during overseas trips. Additionally, both the Republic of Congo and their national team faced bans from FIFA because of external influences interfering with football matters.

“When they reached out to us, I believe we were seeking a chance to maintain engagement with our team during this FIFA window, and we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to participate in this match,” Mungala stated.

We also view it as a gesture of unity with all people, regardless of their origin. Thus, for us, football does not recognize distinctions.

The enduring camaraderie between Russia and Zambia

Mungala additionally mentioned that the bilateral relationship between the two nations is robust and long-lasting.

“Zambia and Russia share a history spanning six decades. He mentioned that shortly after Zambia achieved independence in 1964, one of the nations offering support was Russia, which has maintained significant influence in Zambia since then.” The speaker further noted that this game does not imply Zambia is advocating for Russia’s reinstatement into FIFA.

Those
diplomatic and cultural links
, created during the era when Russia was part of the Soviet Union, appear to be a significant factor behind why numerous African teams prefer playing against Russia more than they do with most other countries.

As Zambia celebrated the arrangement of a match earlier this year through a social media announcement highlighting that both nations had “leveraged their enduring camaraderie to set up an international friendly,” Nigeria has remained conspicuously silent regarding their encounter, which is slated for June 6 at an as-yet-unspecified location.

Despite Russia confirming the match, there has been no statement posted on the Nigerian Football Association (NFF) website. Numerous attempts to get comments from LIFEHACK also yielded no response.

“Football is not warfare; it transcends ethnicity and political concerns,” Nigerian sports producer and reporter Oluwaseun Idowu stated to LIFEHACK, attempting to gauge the stance of Nigeria’s football federation.

I don’t believe this indicates that these nations see Russia differently from the majority of the global community.

Russia depends on soft power.

During the 1960s, Nigeria forged strong connections with the Soviet Union, as the latter supported the Nigerian government during a civil conflict starting in 1967. Subsequently, following his inauguration in 2000, Russian President Vladimir Putin cordially received the newly appointed Nigerian leader, Olusegun Obasanjo. In addition, both nations entered into a military pact in 2017, and Russia intends to construct a nuclear facility within Nigeria’s borders. However, this is not the sole area where Russia exerts its influence over Nigeria.

Both Russia and the Soviet Union have undoubtedly employed their soft power in this area by sending African students to study in Russia and through various cultural and sports initiatives,” said Michelle Sikes, an associate professor specializing in Kinesiology and African Studies at Pennsylvania State University in the U.S., speaking to LIFEHACK. She added that such efforts can create enduring impacts.

The sports connections seem to have become even stronger for certain nations following the invasion. Delegates from the National Olympic Committees of four African countries— Namibia, Mali, Eswatini, and Togo—attended.
A meeting with Russia scheduled for 2023
Most African countries dispatched delegates to the summit, with Nigeria and Zambia being among them. These two nations have routinely supported United Nations General Assembly motions advocating for an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and numerous African states are worried about how this conflict might impact their economies.

Differing priorities

“During tough times, true friends are recognized not through their words, but through their actions,” stated the Russian proverb.
Olympic
At the summit was Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov.

Now we can truly identify our genuine allies versus those who merely feign support or persist in pretending. Consequently, we maintain an optimistic outlook toward our collaborative efforts and certainly hope that colleagues from different continents will emulate the exemplary conduct of our African counterparts.

Sikes highlighted that the Soviet Union seemed to adopt a more resolute position in combating apartheid in South Africa compared to numerous Western countries throughout the Cold War period.

The favorable sentiments arising from that period might have persisted, making Russia seem more empathetic towards certain African nations, particularly considering the significant impact of apartheid.

She highlighted that the geographic separation from the conflict makes it easier for people in various African nations to not keep it at the forefront of their minds.

In recent years, Russia’s impact on Africa has increased, as highlighted in a 2024 brief from the European Parliament.

“As it stands now, Russia’s involvement with the continent aims at overcoming the diplomatic and economic seclusion enforced by Western nations. This effort also serves to reinforce Russia’s significance on the global scene as a proponent of the emerging ‘multipolar world.’ Additionally, this engagement facilitates progress toward Russian geopolitical objectives concerning extraction industries, energy sectors, and bolstering military presence in crucial regions like the Red Sea and the Mediterranean,” the document states.

Mungala told LIFEHACK that no Zambian supporters will make the trip to Moscow for the game on March 25, due to high travel expenses and complex arrangements. Although from a competitive standpoint the match holds minimal importance, it could be seen as a minor stride toward overcoming international seclusion, particularly among aficionados around the globe who follow soccer.

Edited by: Chuck Penfold

Author: Matt Pearson