With the FIFA World Cup being just around the corner, all 32 participants are preparing to kick off their Qatar 2022 campaign. Portugal are one of a handful of countries taking to the pitch before the action gets underway on November 20, with the European giants facing Nigeria in what should be an interesting friendly.
Fernando Santos' men open their campaign on November 24, taking on Ghana, meaning Nigeria are the perfect team to face just before the tournament. The reason is simple: it was the Super Eagles who faced the Black Stars in the CAF's decisive FIFA World Cup qualifying round.
These two African powerhouses locked horns in the third round, with the winner progressing to this year's tournament. After playing out a goalless draw at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Ghana, the second leg in Abuja sent this affair into overdrive.
Thomas Partey scored the opening goal for the visitors, with William Troost-Ekong equalizing for the hosts shortly after. Unfortunately, that goal was not enough for Nigeria as the three-time AFCON champions missed out on football's ultimate competition.
This followed their disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaign at the start of this year, with Nigeria crashing out in the round of 16 at the hands of Tunisia, leaving fans upset with their national team's disappointing 2022 performance.
Additionally, Jose Peseiro's side have lost the four friendly matches that followed the unfortunate draw with Ghana, meaning Ndidi and Co. will need to make amends. Can they shock star-studded Portugal?
A Seleção's goal is simple: the Euro 2016 winners need to gather momentum ahead of Qatar 2022. Fernando Santos' side have endured a number of hiccups over the past few moments, with fans even calling for the manager to be sacked as a result.
The first misstep was Portugal's failure to secure automatic qualification for the World Cup, missing out on the no.1 spot in their group to Serbia. Cristiano and Co. made amends by qualifying through the playoffs, however, beating Turkey and North Macedonia.
A while later, despite being handed a golden opportunity, the continental powerhouse failed to make the UEFA Nations League final, losing 1-0 at home to Spain when they needed only a point to progress.
Since then, Portugal have lost one of their most influential attackers to injury, with Liverpool ace Diogo Jota being ruled out for Qatar 2022. Additionally, Cristiano will miss this friendly due to illness, meaning Portugal's other talents will be given the chance to impress ahead of their exciting showdown with Ghana.
Team news
Portugal: As mentioned earlier, Diogo Jota misses out due to a long-term injury while Cristiano Ronaldo is suffering from gastritis. In their absence, Otavio and Rafael Leao should lead the line while Primeira Liga top scorer Goncalo Ramos could also get a start. Wolves duo Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes could get minutes together while Man United star Bruno Fernandes should also feature.
Nigeria: Victor Osimhen withdrew from the squad due to injury but the Super Eagles have several other talented players at their disposal, including Premier League aces Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi. Atalanta attacker Ademola Lookman and Villarreal's Samuel Chukwueze are two other names to look out for.
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Match details, result and original broadcast info
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