Portugal’s senior men’s football team defeated the Super Eagles of Nigeria 2-1 in an International friendly match, ending coach Eric Chelle’s 12 game unbeaten run in Leiria, Portugal.
Portugal, who dominated the midfield, took the lead in the 23rd minute through Pedro Neto. The Chelsea forward shot powerfully from inside the box past Maduka Okoye in Nigeria’s goal after he was found with a beautiful pass into the box from the left.
The Super Eagles looked for a way back into the match and were rewarded after some pressure.
Nigeria’s 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-Nassar forward Cristiano Ronaldo couldn’t score in his first ever game against Nigeria, failing to convert the few chances that came his way.
The home team finally found the winner through Francisco Conceicao’s 75th minute strike. The substitute beat his marker and fired passed goalkeeper 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 against Portugal is the last game for the Super Eagles in this break. Unfortunately, they failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
