Portugal edge Nigeria 2-1 in football friendly
Portugal’s national football team defeated the Super Eagles of Nigeria 2-1 in Leiria, Portugal, on Wednesday night, ending Coach Eric Chelle’s 12-game unbeaten run.
Portugal, which dominated the midfield, took the lead in the 23rd minute through Pedro Neto.
The Chelsea forward shot powerfully from inside the box, passing Maduka Okoye in Nigeria’s goal after he was found with a beautiful pass into the box from the left.
Akor Adams restored parity in the 35th minute after he powered his way through the Portuguese defence line to convert Dele Bashiru’s pass.
The Super Eagles showed real strength as they held their own against the Portuguese midfield led by Manchester United ‘s Bruno Fernandes, denying the hosts from creating scoring chances.
Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo was not on the score sheet.
The home team finally found the winner through Francisco Conceicao’s 75th-minute strike. The substitute beat his marker and fired past Okoye from inside the box.
The defeat ends Nigeria’s 12-match unbeaten run under Coach Eric Chelle.
For Portugal, it was a good warm-up game as they go into the 2026 World Cup as one of the favourites.
The game marked Alex Iwobi’s 100th cap for the Super Eagles. The Fulham midfielder was celebrated by the team after the game.
(NAN)
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