Samson Tijani was not on the pitch in Leiria on Wednesday night, but the former Super Eagles midfielder watched Nigeria’s 2-1 defeat to Portugal closely enough to deliver one of the more measured assessments of what Chelle’s side are building, Footynaija.com reports.
Nigeria had lost 4-0 to Portugal in their only previous meeting in Lisbon in 2022, making Wednesday’s contest a chance to show how far the team has come. Pedro Neto gave Portugal the lead in the 23rd minute before Akor Adams equalised in the 37th, and Francisco Conceição ultimately settled it in the 75th minute to give the World Cup hosts a 2-1 win in their final warm-up.
Nigeria gave a good account of themselves throughout, and Tijani, speaking to Flashscore.com, wanted that recognised.
“We can be proud of the way we played because I know many people never gave us a chance against Portugal. Of course, nobody likes to lose, but there were plenty of positives to take from our performance,” he said.
He pointed to the character Nigeria showed against a side widely tipped to go deep in the World Cup.
“We showed character, fought for one another, and competed well against a very strong side that boasts some of the best players in the world and is widely regarded as one of the favourites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. If you remember our last meeting with Portugal, we suffered a 4-0 defeat. This time, however, we demonstrated quality and a much-improved level of performance, so I want to congratulate the entire team on their efforts.”
Tijani himself missed the window for reasons outside his control.
“On a personal note, it is unfortunate that I could not be part of the squad due to logistical reasons, but overall, we have enjoyed a very productive international window, winning the Unity Cup and earning a draw against Poland,” he added. “We are a team still in progress, and there are many lessons and positives to take from this defeat.”
Nigeria went into the Portugal game having won the Unity Cup, beaten Jamaica 3-0 in the final, and drawn 2-2 with Poland in Warsaw, making it the most productive international break the Super Eagles have had in recent memory despite the final result on Wednesday.
