Portugal defeated the Super Eagles of Nigeria 2-1 in Leiria on Wednesday night, ending Coach Eric Chelle’s 12-game unbeaten run.
Portugal, who dominated the midfield, took the lead in the 23rd minute through Pedro Neto.
The Chelsea forward shot from inside the box passed 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 couldn’t score in his first-ever game against Nigeria, failing to convert the few chances that came his way.
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The home team finally found the winner through Francisco Conceicao’s 75th minute strike. The substitute beat his marker and fired passed Okoye from inside the box.
The defeat ends Nigeria’s 12-match unbeaten run under Chelle.
For Portugal, it was a good warm-up game as they go into the 2026 World Cup as one of the favorites.
The game marks Alex Iwobi’s 100 caps for the Super Eagles. The Fulham midfielder was celebrated by the team after the game.
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