Why Super Eagles couldn’t beat Poland – Nigeria and Fulham star Calvin Bassey

Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey believes Nigeria should have left Warsaw with a victory after surrendering the lead twice in a dramatic 2-2 draw against Poland at the PGE Narodowy Stadium, Afrik-Foot reports.

The international friendly on Wednesday night extended Eric Chelle’s unbeaten run as Nigeria coach to 12 matches, but the result left a sense of frustration within the Super Eagles camp after they came within touching distance of securing a notable away win.

Nigeria twice moved ahead during the contest in front of more than 54,000 spectators in the Polish capital, only to be pegged back by late goals at the end of both halves.

The Super Eagles opened the scoring after 23 minutes when Terem Moffi finished calmly from a Moses Simon delivery. The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but a VAR review confirmed that Simon had been onside when he received Wilfred Ndidi’s pass, allowing the strike to stand.

The former African champions looked comfortable for large parts of the first half and carried a threat whenever they attacked. However, just as Nigeria appeared set to head into the break with a 1-0 lead, Kacper Potulski struck in added time to level matters for the hosts.

Nigeria responded positively after the restart. Eric Chelle’s side continued to create opportunities, with Zaidu Sanusi testing goalkeeper Kamil Grabara and Tochukwu Nnadi also going close.

Their persistence paid off when VAR alerted the referee to a deliberate handball inside the Polish penalty area. Substitute Paul Onuachu stepped forward and confidently converted the resulting spot-kick to restore Nigeria’s advantage.

Yet the Super Eagles could not hold on. Deep into stoppage time, Poland found another equaliser as Przemysław Wiśniewski unleashed a powerful effort from around 25 yards that flew beyond the Nigerian defence and rescued a draw for the home side.

Speaking afterwards, Bassey admitted that Nigeria’s inability to manage the closing moments of each half ultimately cost them victory.

“We should have got the win. Two late goals in both halves. It shows there was something we could adjust,” Bassey lamented to reporters.

Bassey sees Super Eagles positives

While disappointed with the result, the Fulham defender pointed to the unusual circumstances surrounding the camp and the large number of changes made by Chelle as reasons for optimism.

Several players arrived at different times ahead of the friendly, limiting the amount of preparation the squad could complete together before facing Poland.

“A lot of us had different arrival times. A few of us joined camp yesterday, so it is good to get some minutes in the legs.”

Bassey stressed that the match should be viewed as part of the team’s wider development process rather than judged solely by the final scoreline.

“I think there were positives to take out of it as any game there were things to work on. So, we are trying to build and improve game by game,” he added.

The defender was particularly encouraged by how several new faces adapted to international football and how the team maintained its intensity throughout the encounter.

“Overall, I think it was a good performance from the boys. A lot of changes and there are a lot of boys not here from Afcon and previously,” the former Ajax defender said. “It is good to get some debuts and for the manager it is amazing to test new players.”

Nigeria’s depth was also highlighted by the performances of several fringe players who stepped into the side and contributed positively against a physically strong Polish team.

“But, it shows the quality we have in this Nigerian squad. In the Nigeria squad we have an abundance of talents and it is just positive,” Bassey noted.

Bassey also defended the overall display when asked whether the result should be considered disappointing.

The Fulham centre-back said, “You tell me if it was a bad game. It’s all opinion. We had a game plan and the most important thing is that everyone left the game healthy.”

The late equaliser inevitably overshadowed many of Nigeria’s encouraging moments. Questions will be asked about the team’s concentration levels after similar late setbacks have hurt the Super Eagles in recent years, including crucial dropped points during their unsuccessful FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.

Nevertheless, Chelle can take comfort from the attacking football his side produced, the successful integration of new players, and another unbeaten outing as attention now turns to the next friendly against Portugal in Leiria.