The Super Eagles suffered a 2-1 defeat to Portugal in an international friendly match played on Wednesday night in Lisbon, marking a significant setback for Nigeria ahead of preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The loss was the first defeat in open play for Super Eagles head coach, Eric Sekou Chelle, since taking charge of the national team. Prior to the encounter, Chelle had maintained an impressive unbeaten record in regulation time across competitive and friendly fixtures.
Under his leadership, the Super Eagles had avoided defeat in open play, with any exits from tournaments or qualification campaigns coming only through penalty shootouts after drawn matches.
However, that record came to an end against a star-studded Portuguese side featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva and several other top players in the pre-World Cup friendly.
Despite the result, Nigeria delivered a commendable performance against the World Cup-bound hosts. The Super Eagles matched Portugal for long periods and created several promising opportunities throughout the contest.
Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye came under scrutiny for Portugal’s opening goal in the 23rd minute, scored by Pedro Neto. However, the shot-stopper quickly redeemed himself with two outstanding saves that kept Nigeria in the game.
Nigeria drew level in the 37th minute through Sevilla striker Akor Adams, who finished clinically to restore parity before halftime and cap an encouraging first-half display by the visitors.
Portugal made several changes after the break and eventually found the winning goal 15 minutes from time, with Francisco Conceição netting the decisive strike. The match was also a memorable occasion for Alex Iwobi, who earned his 100th cap for the Super Eagles, becoming only the third Nigerian player to reach the milestone.
