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Its very clear that Russia has an issue with discrimination and racism, especially if you are LGBTQI and/or of Asian or African descent. Russia is a country openly hostile to LGBTQI people. Russia's several years of State sponsored homophobia have had grave effect on their general population. Since the controversial 2013 anti-gay law was passed, the number of recorded hate crimes has doubled. Polls also indicate a steadily growing intolerance of LGBTQI communities. Though homosexuality is legal in Russia, Russia has numerous anti- gay laws that makes Russia still a difficult and dangerous place for sexual minorities While writing this piece, an LGBTQI Nigeria community - member clearly proffered her solution to the toxicity one is likely to expect from travelling to Russia for the world cup, by advising; "rather stay away from that country o". Good advice you say? It depends, because there are definitely some persons who are LGBTQI and Nigerian, who just has to be in Russia. If not to cheer the Super Eagles officially as fans, then for some other inevitable reasons. Its the world cup remember? Its a once - in - a - four - years - world - event! And its happening in the wake of 20 gay teen (2018) LGBTQI Pride! So?.. Do the math! Visiting Russia may already sound like a scary prospect for LGBTQI travellers, given the anti - gay environment but there are still plenty of opportunities for a great experience. To stay safe, you just keep your wits about you and respect Russia’s laws. In spite of all these laws, Moscow and St Petersburg have very lively gay and lesbian scenes, in fact one of the liveliest in the world. So even as Russia isn’t LGBTQI friendly, if you’re discreet and vigilant you can still have a good time there. Take these steps to a successful gay visit through Russia. 1.FAN ID: If you are a Nigerian going to Russia, I'm sure you already have your world cup FAN ID! FAN ID gives you free access to games and can serve as your visa into Russia. Its valid 10 days before the world cup and 10 days after. You get your FAN ID while still in Nigeria. Registration is Online #Jumia travels, #wakanow, etc and FAN ID, is very easily delivered to you by DHL. You only have to get your FAN ID once, and use it for all the FIFA World Cup matches along with your varying tickets. With your FAN ID you also get free public transport on match days during the World Cup. Connect with other LGBT Nigerians who are going to the world cup and whose travel itinerary matches with yours, so you travel in packs. It's fun. There's a WhatsApp group 2..Staying discreet While in Russia it’s advised that LGBTQI couples don’t show affection in public, or display pride flags or symbols. You should also be careful not to post any kind of material that “promotes” LGBTQI lifestyles on social media, and every other type of homosexual propaganda. Don't get into public or political discourse of LGBTQI issues. Officially, there are no bans on rainbow flags or same-sex partners showing affection in the streets and stadium. But it is sure to trigger most homophobic Russians so while in public its best to 'un-gay' 3..Mingling and gay bars If you must mingle with the LGBTQI crowd in Russia, your best bet is sticking to the more tolerant cities of Moscow and St Petersburg where there are thriving gay scenes. Elsewhere, gay scenes tend to be underground. "Moscow is one of the gayest city... You just need to know where to go." 4.Match day visits We will be mostly interested in the matches on 16th, for Nigeria vs Croatia; in Kaliningrad , 22nd ; Nigeria vs Iceland, Volgograd city. And Nigeria vs Argentina on the 26th, SPB city. Note that Security at the stadiums will be tight including screening areas, bag searches, and detectors. There are also restrictions in place regarding what items are allowed into the stadiums, so avoid taking a bag as it will be taken from you until the game is finished. Its best to leave most of your stuff back in your hotel Another, Give yourself plenty of time to get to the stadium so you don’t get trapped in the security queue and miss part of the game. 5..Your Visa Some one asked me earlier on here "if Russia is amongst the Schengen visa countries?" Answer is "No". Except you already have a Russian visa, I see no need for a visa, if the world cup is your major reason for going to Russia. A FIFA FAN ID is best and cheaper. Also, Russia doesn’t muck around when it comes to visas, so it’s important you have a valid visa and passport organized before you travel. Upon arrival into Russia, you'll receive an electronic migration card, it’s important to keep this with your passport as you will need it to exit Russia. You'll also need to REGISTER within 24 hours each time you move to a new city within Russia. Most hotels and guest houses will do this for their guests (much ado Russia) Then, Make sure to move around with your passport always within the city as police will conduct random checks. A photocopy will not be accepted and penalties apply if you don’t comply 6..Money Its best to change your money into roubles before departure to Russia. If you must buy the currency in Russia, don't buy from the streets, its illegal to change money from the street vendors. Rouble is the local currency in Russia, so if you plan to use cash, you'll have to become good friends with it. It's illegal to pay for general transactions in Russia using any other cash but the Rouble. If you plan to withdraw money from an ATM, it’s best to do it during the day at a bank. Plus, if you're paying by card, always keep your card safe. Master cards are more internationally versatile, against visa cards. 7..Crowdy Streets and crimes Where there are crowds, there are often petty criminals. Russia has its share of pickpockets and scammers especially in these coming weeks; keep your valuables close to you at all times and be aware of your surroundings especially in crowds and while on public transport. Also be wary of authorities asking to see your papers or ID. There are crooks who'll pose as the police in an attempt to extort money from you while holding your items to ransom. Always ask for identification before handing over anything. 8. Stay Healthy While there are no required vaccinations for Russia, it’s worth being up to date with the routine ones. Russia has increasing rates of HIV/AIDS, and there is also a chance one may contact Hepatitis B or other diseases. It’s also not the best idea to let your love of football run skin deep by getting a new tattoo or sleeping (unchecked) with that new Russian girl you met at a local bar after a game. *wink Weather; Russia’s weather can be varied and unpredictable. One city can be sun kissed and another can experience four seasons in one day. Pack clothing for all seasons. 9. Nightlife Safety The World Cup will definitely have a party atmosphere especially at night..Make good use of the fan zones, restaurants, bars and clubs across the 11 event cities in Russia, its a sure place to let your hair down and maybe make some new friends along the way. Ensure to enjoy your night out responsibly and safely by avoiding intoxication, being aware of potential drink spiking and avoiding unlabelled bootleg vodka's Disturbing public order and public intoxication are offenses in Russia which can see you fined, jailed or deported. 10. Avoiding Football Fan Violence Football is a passionate game and has passionate fans, which sometimes results in incidents of violence and hooliganism. Even though In the lead up to this World Cup, Russian authorities made it public that they have visited known football hooligans and threatened them with jail time, it important to always listen to security announcements and be aware of the potential for violence to break out. For Your safety and your pack's; in case of a breakout, get away from the location if possible or, if you are stuck in a crowd, go with the flow. So? Russia will try to play the role of a good host to its visitors in the world cup, but we are very certain that the consequences of the long-term state sponsored homophobia is sure to crack their surfaces. The government has never been an enthusiastic defender of LGBTQI rights. Russia remains a difficult and dangerous place for sexual minorities. Our advice is that you protect yourself, monitor the situation closely as you keep up - to - date with news and travel alerts. You are sure to enjoy yourself at the World Cup. Ciao

Nigeria have been drawn in Group D of the Russia 2018 World Cup along with South American giants Argentina, Europeans Iceland and Croatia. At a star-studded Final Draw ceremony at the State Kremlin Palace in Russia on Friday, the Super Eagles, who were in Pot 4 of the draws, drew the Argentines, who were seeded in Pot 1, and Croatia and Iceland, who were in Pots 2 and 3. Source