The Super Eagles of Nigeria have fallen to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Portugal in their final friendly match of the June international window, Footynaija.com reports.
Goals either side of half time from Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceicao ensured victory for the home side while Akor Adams’ 37th minute strike proved to be nothing more than a consolation for the Super Eagles as they suffered their first defeat in regulation time under Eric Chelle.
After an exciting game, let’s take a look at how the Super Eagles players performed under the lights in Leiria.
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Maduka Okoye: GK – 6.9
Despite conceding twice yet again, Okoye was actually fantastic between the sticks for Nigeria. The Udinese shot-stopper made four saves, denying the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix to keep his side in the contest. Definitely staked his claim for the Super Eagles number 1 jersey once again.
Christian Akpan: RB – 6.0
The Genk defender was making his first appearance in a Super Eagles shirt and while it wasn’t an entirely poor outing, his performance still left plenty to be desired.
Akpan was often caught out down that right hand side of Nigeria’s defense and it ended proving costly as both Dalot and Neto combined to give Portugal the lead.
Semi Ajayi: CB – 6.8
Ajayi’s calmness and composure was crucial in helping the Super Eagles back line deal with Portugal’s enterprising attackers. He won crucial duels against the dangerous Cristiano Ronaldo while also making vital interceptions to break up promising Portuguese attacking sequences.
Calvin Bassey: CB – 6.9
One of the few players to play the full 90 minutes, Bassey was arguably Nigeria’s most outstanding defender on the pitch tonight. His aggressive style and ball carrying ability certainly bailed the Super Eagles out of a number of tight situations.
Bruno Onyemaechi: LB – 6.5
Played at left-back and then center-back following the substitution of Semi Ajayi after the hour mark. While he often delivered on his defensive duties, the Olympiacos star didn’t offer much on the attack.
Wilfred Ndidi: MF – 7.0
Ndidi had an excellent game in the middle of the park alongside promising youngster Tochukwu Nnadi. The Besiktas midfielder’s ball winning ability came to the fire and he was central to keeping the Super Eagles in the contest up until his departure.
Tochukwu Nnadi: MF – 6.8
The 21-year-old star showed glimpses of his undeniable quality during his time on the pitch, holding his own quite well against the quality of Vitinha, Joao Neves and Bruno Fernandes.
Alex Iwobi: MF – 6.3
Making his 100th cap for the Super Eagles, Iwobi struggled to influence the game in any significant manner. Definitely nowhere near his best tonight.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru: MF – 7.2
Dele-Bashiru, who occupied that number 10 role, did a great job of troubling the Portuguese back line whenever the Super Eagles managed to get themselves on the front foot. The Lazio man also produced the assist for Akor Adams’ leveller.
Moses Simon: FW – 6.5
Simon looked sharp and dangerous whenever he got on the ball down that left hand side of Nigeria’s attack. But with Portugal dominating possession for large parts of the game, the Paris FC forward could barely make any meaningful impact.
Akor Adams: FW – 7.5
Tasked with leading the line in Victor Osimhen’s absence, the Sevilla striker made himself a nuisance and caused plenty of headaches for the Portuguese defense. His efforts were rewarded in the final ten minutes of the first half when he got through and goal and produced a smart finish to pull Nigeria level.
Substitutes
Abdullahi Between: RB – 6.3
Replaced Akpan after the hour mark and showed glimpses of the quality we saw against Poland. However, there was little he could do going forward as Portugal seized control of the game in search of their winner.
Frank Onyeka: MF – 6.2
With Portugal already on the ascendancy before his introduction, the Coventry City star barely had any chance to stamp his authority in the middle of the park.
Raphael Onyedika: MF – 6.1
Just like Onyeka, the Club Brugge midfielder couldn’t influence the game in the manner that he would’ve liked.
Terem Moffi: FW – 5.9
Unlike his other appearances against Zimbabwe, Jamaica and Poland, Moffi failed to impact this particular encounter after replacing Moses Simon in attack.
Zaidu Sanusi: LB – 5.9
Sanusi’s most notable contribution after coming on was letting Conceicao cut in on his preferred left foot to curl in the winner for Portugal.
