Portugal 2-1 Nigeria: Adams’ goal not enough for Super Eagles, as Conceicao dagger seals win for Selecao

The Super Eagles of Nigeria fell to a 2-1 defeat against Portugal in a friendly match on Wednesday, Afrik-Foot reports.

​Returning to action at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, Nigeria faced a formidable Portuguese side in a high-profile World Cup preparatory fixture.

The stadium was packed to capacity, as it was a send-off match for the Seleção ahead of their upcoming tournament campaign.

​As expected, the three-time African champions entered the match as underdogs, a disparity in quality that was evident from the opening whistle.

Portugal dominated the early exchanges and quickly created the game’s first clear-cut opportunity. Cristiano Ronaldo, latching onto a precise cross from Nélson Semedo, burst forward with only Maduka Okoye to beat. However, his low shot agonizingly drifted wide of the post.

​Nigeria responded just two minutes later through a sharp counterattack. Akor Adams received the ball in midfield, drove into the box, dropped his shoulder to create space, and unleashed a tricky low effort that sent Diogo Costa the wrong way, but narrowly missed the target.

​Portugal eventually broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute through Pedro Neto. A long ball was played into the path of Diogo Dalot, who capitalized on a botched clearance by Christian Akpan. He then laid the ball off to an unmarked Neto. Semi Ajayi failed to close down the Chelsea man quickly enough, allowing Neto to curl a low strike past Okoye and into the back of the net, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

​Despite Portugal’s continued dominance, the match remained open. The Portuguese fullbacks pushed high up the pitch, leaving significant space for Nigeria to exploit on the break.

​In the 33rd minute, Portugal nearly doubled their lead when Bruno Fernandes rifled a powerful shot off a corner rebound, but Okoye produced a sensational save to keep the scoreline intact.

​Four minutes later, Nigeria punished Portugal’s high defensive line. Adams latched onto a long ball, muscled his way past Rúben Dias, and combined effectively with Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

Adams empata para a Nigéria 🇳🇬#sporttvportugal #FUTEBOLnaSPORTTV #JogodePreparação #Portugal #Nigéria pic.twitter.com/9hr0LqZFvH

— sport tv (@sporttvportugal) June 10, 2026

Despite being tightly marked, Adams unleashed a strike from inside the box that nutmegged Diogo Costa to level the score. Nigeria successfully weathered the remainder of the pressure to go into the halftime break tied at 1-1.

During the interval, Portugal coach Roberto Martínez made seven substitutions. While this preserved their dominance, it notably disrupted their fluidity.

​The hosts nearly regained the lead in the 48th minute when substitute João Félix fired a fierce strike from outside the area. Okoye once again came to the rescue, tipping the ball onto the crossbar before it ricocheted off the goal line and back into play.

​After that scare, the Seleção created a few half-chances but struggled to find the clinical edge. They finally restored their lead in the 75th minute, courtesy of a moment of brilliance from Francisco Conceição.

After receiving the ball on the right flank, he capitalized on Zaidu Sanusi’s lackadaisical defending, danced to the edge of the box, and curled a wicked effort beyond Okoye’s reach.

FRANCISCO CONCEIÇÃO À SUA MANEIRA 🚀

Portugal novamente na frente 😍#sporttvportugal #FUTEBOLnaSPORTTV #JogodePreparação #Portugal #Nigéria pic.twitter.com/1gjnTXp7oe

— sport tv (@sporttvportugal) June 10, 2026

​Coach Chelle introduced Samuel Chukwueze, Paul Onuachu, and Philip Otele late in the game, but the trio failed to mount a cohesive comeback.

​The match ended 2-1, marking Coach Chelle’s first loss in regulation time since taking the helm of the Super Eagles last January.

When is the Super Eagles’ Next Game?

The game against Portugal is the last game for the Super Eagles in this break. Unfortunately, they failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, so they will have to watch from their homes.

The next time Nigeria will play is in September.