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Super Eagles Fall Narrowly to World Cup Bound Portugal in Leiria Friendly

Posted : 11 June 2026

The Super Eagles of Nigeria suffered a close 2-1 loss to European powerhouses Portugal in an international friendly match. The competitive game took place on Wednesday night at the Estadio Dr. Magalhaes Pessoa in Leiria. Portugal used the high-profile fixture as their final warm-up game before traveling to North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The home side opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when Chelsea forward Pedro Neto neatly converted a pass from Diogo Dalot. Nigeria responded well to the early setback and grew in confidence on the pitch. Striker Akor Adams equalized for the three-time African champions in the 37th minute; he physically shrugged off defender Ruben Dias before finishing beautifully.

The teams went into the halftime interval level at 1-1 before Portugal manager Roberto Martinez made nine changes to rotate his squad. Veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo remained on the pitch until the 67th minute before leaving to a standing ovation. Substitute Francisco Conceicao eventually struck the match-winning goal in the 75th minute with a spectacular curling effort.

The friendly encounter provided a special milestone for midfielder Alex Iwobi. The Fulham star earned his 100th international appearance for Nigeria before being substituted late in the second half. This defeat marks only the second regulation-time loss for head coach Eric Chelle since taking over the Super Eagles dugout 15 months ago.

Nigeria entered the friendly match without several of their key attacking stars. Reigning African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen and Atlético Madrid forward Ademola Lookman were both excused from the squad. Despite these notable absences, Chelle praised the tactical organization and general resilience displayed by his rebuilding group.

 

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