The Super Eagles of Nigeria would have learnt a lesson or two from watching their next opponents, Portugal defeat Chile during an international friendly on Saturday, but a sore point came for Cristiano Ronaldo’s side when they had a player sent off.
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Sports247 reports that two major talking points the Eagles will hold unto heading into Wednesday’s clash with the Portuguese is how Rafael Leao got sent off for striking an opponent in the face during his team’s pre-World Cup friendly, and that the hosts won the game 2-1.
The Portuguese side, coached by Roberto Martinez, will next host Nigeria in Leiria, where they will hope for a better outing than Saturday’s tempestuous game, which they won with goals from Bruno Fernandes and Goncalo Guedes.
However, Saturday’s game hit headlines for the wrong reason, when an incident at the end of the first-half saw Leao and Chile’s Ivan Roman both get the referee’s marching orders, following an incident on the sidelines that did not initially involve them.
The flare-up began between Portugal’s Joao Cancelo and Chile’s Felipe Faundez, with the latter appearing to kick out at his opponent, which soon spilled over, with Roman pushing Leao, who then threw a strike that connected with the Chilean’s jaw.
Both players were sent off, and it remains to be seen whether Leao could face retrospective action that could impact his 2026 World Cup participation, but he surely will not be dressed for Wednesday’s fixture against the Super Eagles.
Sports247 reports that the high and low of Portugal’s game on Saturday, plus their strengths and weaknesses, will now form a key part of the Super Eagles’ training routine on Monday, as they put finishing touches to tactics for Wednesday’s clash.
