The Super Eagles on Tuesday were forced to settle for a 2–2 draw against Jordan in an international friendly in Antalya, Turkey, as a late equaliser denied them back-to-back victories.
Head coach Eric Chelle’s side, who had defeated Iran 2–1 in their previous outing, showed flashes of quality but were unable to hold on after taking the lead.
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Jordan strike first, Nigeria respond
Jordan, ranked 64th in the world but in strong form ahead of the FIFA World Cup, made a bright start and took the lead in the 17th minute through Mousa Al-Taamari, whose powerful free kick beat Francis Uzoho from distance.
Nigeria responded well and found an equaliser in the 26th minute. Moses Simon who was the captain on the night, reacted quickest to a rebound after an initial effort from Ademola Lookman was blocked, firing home to make it 1–1.
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The Super Eagles continued to press and were rewarded just before the break when Emmanuel Fernandez marked his full debut with a goal, arriving at the far post to slot home and give Nigeria a 2–1 lead at half-time.
Second-half drama
Nigeria started the second half on the front foot but struggled to create clear-cut chances, despite attacking changes introduced by Chelle.
The match turned scrappy midway through the half, with Jordan growing into the contest and testing Nigeria’s defence. A key moment came when Uzoho required treatment before being replaced by Adebayo Adeleye.
Jordan eventually found a breakthrough in the 77th minute, as Mohammad Al Daoud finished calmly to level the score at 2–2.
Nigeria pushed for a late winner, with Alex Iwobi at the heart of their attacking moves in the closing stages, but were unable to find a decisive goal.
Iwobi was given a straight red card in the dying stages of the match for retaliation.
Key takeaways
The match was largely an evenly contested encounter, reflecting Jordan’s growing status as an emerging force in Asian football.
The Super Eagles came into the game on a five-match unbeaten run in regulation time and had hoped to extend that sequence after their win over Iran.
However, injuries and squad disruptions—including the absence of Maduka Okoye and the earlier departure of defenders Semi Ajayi and Bruno Onyemaechi—limited Chelle’s options.
Despite the draw, the match offered positives, particularly the performance of one of the new faces in the team, Fernandez and the continued attacking threat of Simon and Lookman.
Nigeria will now look to build on these performances as Chelle continues to assess his squad and refine his team ahead of future competitive fixtures.
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