TheCable

The Super Eagles have been held to a 2-2 draw by the Green Falcons of Saudi Arabia in an international friendly match. 

An own-goal by Abdelelah Al-Amri and a beautiful strike from Kelechi Iheanacho could not ensure victory for the Eagles at the Estádio Municipal de Portimão, Portugal, on Friday.

For the match, Victor Boniface got his first Super Eagles start alongside Victor Osimhen as the focal point of an attack which had Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze on both flanks.

Bruno Onyemaechi slotted in at left-back, and Tyronne Ebuehi was named on the other side of the defence while Oluwasemilogo Ajayi and Calvin Bassey played in front of Francis Uzoho.

The midfield duo of Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi completed Jose Peseiro’s team line-up.

The overload of talent proved a handful for Saudi Arabia’s defence in the early stage of the game.

In the ninth minute, Boniface showed class, beating a defender in a footrace down the left byline before sailing a cross towards Osimhen, but Mohammed Alowais, Saudi goalkeeper, read the play and put a hand to it.

Shortly after, Osimhen barreled into the Saudi goal area, and this time, he connected with a cross from Onyemaechi, but the Napoli striker jabbed the ball too high over the crossbar.

Boniface also had a goalscoring chance, but Alowais was quick to gather the ball.

Despite the Eagles’ control of the game, the Saudis wormed out a goalscoring chance, but Uzoho was alert to stop Fahad Al-Muwallad’s effort.

Lookman then squandered Nigeria’s biggest opportunity late in the first half. The Atalanta FC forward placed the ball wide after Chukwueze put a pass across to him.

Ten minutes after the restart, Saudi Arabia took the lead. Uzoho leapt to deal with a seemingly harmless freekick drilled goalbound by Salman Al-Faraj, but the goalkeeper goofed and parried the ball into his net.

Peseiro responded to the goal with a personnel shuffle. Moses Simon, Kelechi Iheanacho and Bright Osayi-Samuel came on for Lookman, Chukwueze and Ebuehi.

A few minutes later, Simon conjured brilliance to earn Nigeria an equaliser. His ground cross into the Saudi goal area forced Abdelelah Al-Amri to stab the ball into his net.

Iheanacho then put the Eagles ahead for the first time in the game. He scored a beauty from the edge of the box.

However, the Eagles were brought back to earth deep into added time. Mohammed Kano smashed a freekick past Uzoho with the game’s last shot, and the match finished 2-2.

Nigeria will play Mozambique on Monday in another international friendly at the same venue.