The Super Eagles of Nigeria face off against Portugal in what will arguably be their toughest test yet since the arrival of Franco-Malian head coach Eric Chelle and all attention will turn to Leiria on Wednesday to see how this particular one pans out, Footynaija.com reports.
Chelle heads into this encounter without some of his most dangerous attacking weapons, with both Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman unavailable for selection after dropping out of the squad for various reasons.
Nevertheless, the 47-year-old tactician will be confident in the array of talents currently at his disposal, especially following impressive performances against Zimbabwe, Jamaica and Poland.
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With experienced stars like Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi and Moses Simon all in contention for Wednesday’s clash, here’s what the Super Eagles starting XI could look like.
Super Eagles’ possible lineup
GK – Maduka Okoye
Coming off the back of a very impressive season for Udinese in the Serie A, Okoye impressed between the sticks during Nigeria’s thrilling 2-2 draw against Poland in Warsaw. Against a quality opponent like Portugal, the 26-year-old shot-stopper represents the Super Eagles’ safest option in goal.
RB – Abdullahi Bewene
Another star from the game against Poland, Bewene outperformed many expectations on his Super Eagles debut and with his more experienced positional competition still unavailable for this game, the Banik Ostrava full-back should earn his second senior international cap from the first whistle on Wednesday.
CB – Semi Ajayi
Arguably Nigeria’s most experienced defender currently in camp, Ajayi is expected to get the nod right off the bat. The Hull City man’s calmness and composure in defense will be vital against a Portugal side expected to dominate possession and make dangerous forays into Super Eagles defensive territory.
CB – Calvin Bassey
Bassey’s aggressive style of defending makes his inclusion from the first whistle a no-brainer. Also, the Fulham defender will greatly complement Ajayi at the heart of defense as we often saw at the 2025 AFCON, making their pairing a very logical decision.
LB – Bruno Onyemaechi
Onyemaechi’s tireless nature will make him a crucial asset in a game where the Super Eagles may need to spend a lot of time working hard off the ball and of course springing forward in quick transitions whenever they do win it back.
MF – Wilfred Ndidi
The Super Eagles captain will of course have one of the most important jobs on the field of play which will be to break up Portugal’s rhythm in the middle of the park and deny the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Vitinha time and space on the ball.
MF – Frank Onyeka
Like Ndidi, Onyeka can help the Super Eagles stifle Portugal’s play in the middle of the park, so he’s widely expected to make the starting XI.
MF – Alex Iwobi
The former Arsenal man is in line to make his 100th cap for the Super Eagles and having completely missed out the game against Poland, he should return to the starting XI in Leiria as Nigeria’s creative fulcrum.
FW – Moses Simon
Simon’s pace and trickery on the flanks could be central to the Super Eagles making the most of any attacking forays they make into Portugal territory. Also, from what we’ve seen recently, he’s a player Chelle likes to count on in the biggest games.
FW – Samuel Chukwueze
Another player whose speed and dazzling feet can cause plenty of headaches for the Portuguese defensive line if the opportunity presents itself.
FW – Terem Moffi
One of the biggest beneficiaries of the current international window, Moffi has featured in all three of Nigeria’s games so far, netting against Jamaica, Poland. Given his recent surge in form, it’ll come as no surprise to see the Primera Liga winner leading the front line on Wednesday.
