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Nigeria’s Super Eagles lost 2‑1 to Portugal in a friendly, with Akor Adams scoring Nigeria’s only goal. Maduka Okoye (7/10) made several saves to keep the score respectable. Semi Ajayi and Calvin Bassey (both 7/10) formed a solid defensive partnership. Christian Akpan (5/10) struggled on his debut. Substitute Abdullahi Bewene (5/10) impressed again, while Zaidu Sanusi (4/10) was booked for a reckless tackle.
Key Points:
Akor Adams proves he can deliver at the international level, boosting Nigeria’s attacking depth.
The defensive pairing of Ajayi and Bassey shows promise for future AFCON qualifiers.
Debutant Christian Akpan needs more game time to adapt to the international pace.
Alex Iwobi’s 100th cap milestone was overshadowed by a less influential performance.
Nigeria’s performance against a World Cup contender is an improvement from the 4‑0 loss in 2022.
Coach Eric Chelle will use the positives to build for AFCON qualifiers, while Portugal heads to the World Cup with a morale‑boosting win.Please kindly click the Read Original Button at the top to read more of the original content of this article. God bless you.
Sources: Complete Sports, Soccernet
