Super Eagles| Photo: Daily Trust
Kelechi Iheanacho came off the bench to give Nigeria the lead after the Super Eagles went behind in the second half via Salman Al Faraj after goalkeeper Francis Uzoho mishandled a corner kick, flicking the ball into his own net
Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles, was forced to a 2-2 draw by the Saudi Arabia side in a friendly match played in Portugal on Friday 13, 2023.
Kelechi Iheanacho had come off the bench to give Nigeria the lead after the Super Eagles went behind in the second half via Salman Al Faraj after goalkeeper Francis Uzoho mishandled a corner kick, flicking the ball into his own net.
The Nigerians would have rapped the game in the first half, which they dominated with good ball possession but poor finishing after creating many chances denied them goals.
But a late free-kick from the Saudis saw the game end in a draw.
The Leicester City forward struck in the 81st minute for the Super Eagles against the Saudi side but his goal was not enough for Nigeria.
Also read: AFCON 2023: Nigeria’s Super Eagles draw hosts Cote d’Ivoire
But just 13 minutes later, following a quick counterattack, Abdulelah Alamri deflected Victor Boniface’s strike to level scores for Jose Peseiro’s boys.
Yearning for more, Nigeria launched attacks after attacks. Iheanacho, who replaced Samuel Chukwueze in the 64th minute, then latched onto a loose ball at the edge of the box and sent it to the top-left corner of the net. Advantage Nigeria!
But the Super Eagles conceded a freekick on the edge of the box deep into added time. Mohammed Kanno’s strike deflected off a Nigerian player to give Roberto Mancini’s side a draw.
Nigeria will now play Mozambique in another friendly match on Monday as the team prepares for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
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