Duro Ikhazuagbe
Tonight’s Grade A international friendly between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Portugal’s Seleção das Quinas in central Portuguese town of Leiria, promises to be full of fireworks.
For Roberto Martinez’ men, the clash with Nigeria will give the inkling of what to expect when they take on DR Congo in their opening Group K clash next week Wednesday.
Recalled that it was the same Congolese that beat Nigeria in the African playoffs in Rabat, Morocco last November? For Martinez who had all the stars but failed to make hey with Belgium before crossing to Portugal, this World Cup is another chance to make a statement.
And so will expectedly come out against Eagles with his full arsenal despite nothing at stake beyond prestige. Losing to Nigeria is not an option for him as his unbeaten squad aim to consolidate going to the World Cup proper.
Eric Chelle on the other hand is equally not willing to surrender a brilliant record with Nigeria since taking over the Eagles’ dugout 15 months ago.
In that period, Franco-Malian Chelle has overseen 24 matches, losing only once in regulation time – a pre-Africa Cup of Nations friendly in Cairo in December 2025 that he executed with an understrength squad.
Martinez, a wise old cock in the game, has taken his team through a four-match unbeaten streak during which they defeated USA and Chile, and drew with Mexico. Their last defeat was a two-goal reverse against the Republic of Ireland seven months ago.
Wednesday’s encounter against three-time African champions Nigeria will be Portugal’s final preparatory game before they take on the Congolese.
Martinez has expressed confidence going into this send-forth encounter, considering that he has all his aces with him including five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, goalkeeper Diogo Jota, defenders Nélson Semedo, Rúben Dias and Diogo Dalot, midfielders Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and João Neves, and forwards João Félix, Gonçalo Guedes and Rafael Leão.
Against Chile at the Estádio Nacional in Lisbon on Saturday, Manchester United of England’s Bruno Fernandes scored a spectacular goal after supplying the assist for Guedes to score the opener.
There have not been too many encounters between both countries at senior level, but on 17th November 2022, Portugal spanked the Super Eagles 4-0 in a friendly at Lisbon’s Estádio José Alvalade. Portugal’s U20 team also denied Nigeria the trophy at the 1989 FIFA U20 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, with the Flying Eagles suffering a 2-0 reverse in the final.
Chelle will not be concerned by all these as he sends his team out tonight at the 29,000-capacity Estádio Dr Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria – a city halfway between Lisbon and Porto.
Before kick-off, Nigeria will honour midfielder Alexander Iwobi as the Trojan collects his 100th senior cap – an inspiration and occasion for him to exert dominion in the middle against Martinez’s World Cup-bound stars.
Even as he will be missing star strikers Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, Chelle is focusing on his squad with confidence with the arrival of the mercurial Samuel Chukwueze (who missed the clash with Poland), the experience of Moses Simon, the forms of Paul Onuachu, Akor Adams and Terem Moffi, and the promising output of Philip Otele at the Unity Cup in London and the friendly against Poland in Warsaw last week.
Wing-back Abdullahi Bewene had a dream debut against the White-and-Red in Warsaw, and could start against the das Quinas, in the absence of Bright Osayi-Samuel.
Centre-back Igoh Ogbu departed the team camp on Tuesday morning due to injury, but Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey and Scotland-based Emmanuel Fernandez are all up for the big tie. Bruno Onyemaechi and Zaidu Sanusi are both available for the left wing-back role.
Captain Wilfred Ndidi will join Iwobi and any of Frank Onyeka, Tochukwu Nnadi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Raphael Onyedika in the middle. And there is also the promising young KRC Genk midfielder Christian Akpan.
Wednesday’s game will kick off at 8.45pm Portugal time – same time as in Nigeria.
22 SUPER EAGLES TO BATTLE PORTUGAL
Goalkeepers: Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Arthur Okonkwo (Wrexham FC, England); Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus)
Defenders: Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Emmanuel Fernandez (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Abdullahi Ibrahim Bewene (Baník Ostrava, Czech Republic)
Midfielders: Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Coventry FC, England); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (SS Lazio, Italy); Tochukwu Nnadi (Olympic Marseille, France); Christian Akpan (KRC Genk, Belgium)
Forwards: Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham FC, England); Moses Simon (Paris FC, France); Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor AS, Turkey); Akor Adams (Sevilla FC, Spain); Terem Moffi (FC Porto, Portugal); Philip Otele (Hamburger SV, Germany)
