The Super Eagles were held to a 2-2 draw by Poland in an international friendly at the National Stadium in Warsaw, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nigeria came into the match on the back of an impressive Unity Cup campaign, where they defeated Zimbabwe in the semifinals before beating Jamaica in the final to retain their dominance in the competition.
However, Eric Chelle's side were denied victory in Warsaw after Poland struck a dramatic late equalizer, forcing the game to end in a draw.
Banik Ostrava defender Abdullahi Bewene was handed his senior debut, while Maduka Okoye returned to the starting lineup ahead of Arthur Okonkwo in goal.
Terem Moffi finished off a well-worked move after meeting a low cross from Moses Simon to give the Super Eagles the lead inside the first 25 minutes. The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but after a brief VAR review, it was awarded, giving Nigeria a deserved 1-0 lead.
Poland pushed for an equalizer and eventually found a breakthrough just before halftime when Kacper Potulski reacted quickest after Nigeria failed to properly clear a corner kick, making it 1-1 at the break.
Nigeria regained the lead after VAR awarded them a penalty for a handball in the box. Paul Onuachu stepped up and calmly converted from the spot to restore the Super Eagles' advantage.
But there was one final twist in the contest. With time running out, Poland grabbed a dramatic equalizer when Przemyslaw Wisniewski unleashed a thunderous long-range strike that flew beyond Okoye and into the net, ensuring the match ended 2-2.
Super Eagles’ players ratings vs Poland
Maduka Okoye (6.8/10):
Okoye produced a solid display despite conceding twice. The goalkeeper made several important saves throughout the game, including a brilliant double stop to deny Lewandowski and Jan Bednarek in quick succession during the second half. He had also earlier prevented Lewandowski from capitalizing on Sanusi's mistake.
There was little he could have done about Poland's second goal, which was an unstoppable long-range effort.
Bruno Onyemaechi (6.5/10):
Onyemaechi made his return at left-back and enjoyed a decent first-half performance, looking comfortable on the ball before being he was replaced by Zaidu Sanusi at halftime as Chelle rotated his squad.
Emmanuel Fernandez (6.5/10):
Back in the lineup after missing the Unity Cup, Fernandez performed well alongside Igoh Ogbu in central defence. The pair managed to keep Lewandowski relatively quiet during the first half before Fernandez was withdrawn at the interval.
Igoh Ogbu (6.5/10):
Igoh Ogbu was a surprise inclusion in the starting lineup, but he justified his selection with a composed first-half display. He defended confidently and helped limit Poland to very few clear-cut chances.
Abdullahi Bewene (7.0/10):
Bewene enjoyed a very impressive senior debut and looked comfortable throughout the match in the right-back position.
The Banik Ostrava star may have strengthened his case for a long-term place in Chelle's plans with his superb display, although he was given a caution in the second half.
Tochukwu Nnadi (6.3/10):
Nnadi delivered a solid first-half performance despite operating in a more advanced role than usual. While he occasionally struggled to influence proceedings, he came close to scoring before he was substituted for Rafiu Durosinmi at halftime.
Wilfred Ndidi (6.8/10):
The Super Eagles captain worked tirelessly in midfield and played a crucial role in Nigeria's opening goal. His perfectly weighted pass released Moses Simon, whose cross was converted by Moffi.
Ndidi's influence faded later in the match as Poland increased the pressure while searching for an equalizer.
Frank Onyeka (6.4/10):
Onyeka provided energy in midfield alongside Ndidi, doing much of the defensive work and pressing aggressively. He was replaced at halftime by Raphael Onyedika.
Moses Simon (6.9/10):
Moses Simon moved into fourth place on the country's all-time appearance list with the appearance and was one of Nigeria's brightest attacking threats in the first half.
He timed his run perfectly to stay onside before receiving Ndidi's pass and delivering the assist for Moffi's opener. His impact reduced in the second half before he was replaced by Fisayo Dele-Bashiru shortly after the hour mark.
Akor Adams (6.2/10):
It was a relatively quiet evening for the Sevilla forward, who struggled to find clear shooting opportunities. Nevertheless, he worked hard defensively and will be hoping for a more productive outing in Nigeria's upcoming clash against Portugal.
Terem Moffi (7.0/10):
Moffi justified Chelle's decision to start him alongside Adams in attack by scoring Nigeria's opening goal. The striker showed excellent movement to get on the end of Simon's cross and finish confidently.
The goal means Moffi now has four goal contributions in his last three appearances for the Super Eagles as he continues to build momentum at international level.
Substitutes:
Paul Onuachu (6.5/10):
The Trabzonspor striker started on the bench but was introduced in the second half as Nigeria searched hoped to move back ahead in the game. He calmly converted a penalty to restore the Super Eagles' lead, although Poland struck late to earn a 2-2 draw.
Calvin Bassey (6.2/10):
Bassey was a surprise omission from the starting lineup but came on at halftime and helped steady Nigeria’s defence. He made a crucial block late in the game and played his part in limiting Poland’s attacking threat.
Zaidu Sanusi (5.8/10):
Sanusi replaced Bruno Onyemaechi at the break but struggled to make a strong impact. He was fortunate not to be punished after giving the ball away in a dangerous area, with Okoye producing an important save to deny Lewandowski.
Philip Otele (6.7/10):
Otele was one of several second-half substitutes and looked lively whenever he got on the ball. His pace caused problems for the Polish defence, and he will be hoping for more opportunities to impress in future outings.
Semi Ajayi (6.2/10):
Making his first appearance for Nigeria since March, Ajayi slotted into the defence in the second half and helped keep Poland at bay alongside Calvin Bassey during key periods of the game.
Rafiu Durosinmi (5.8/10)
Durosinmi made his third appearance for the Super Eagles but struggled to leave a lasting impression. The forward was unable to influence the match and will need stronger performances to strengthen his case for future call-ups.
