Portugal beat Nigeria 2–1 in final World Cup warm-up
Playing on home soil, Portugal opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when Pedro Neto finished a precise assist from Diogo Dalot.
KATHMANDU: Portugal concluded their final pre-World Cup friendly with a 2–1 victory over Nigeria, delivering a strong but mixed performance ahead of the tournament.
Playing on home soil, Portugal opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when Pedro Neto finished a precise assist from Diogo Dalot.
Despite early dominance, they were unable to extend their lead as captain Cristiano Ronaldo missed an early clear chance.
Nigeria responded just before half-time, with Akor Adams finding the equaliser eight minutes before the break, leveling the match at 1–1.
After the interval, Portugal controlled possession and created several opportunities, with João Félix heavily involved in attack but unable to convert chances.
The breakthrough finally came 15 minutes from time when Francisco Conceição scored a brilliant individual goal to restore Portugal’s lead and secure the win.
With this result, Portugal national football team completed their World Cup preparations on a positive note. They will begin their World Cup campaign in Group K against DR Congo.
However, the match also highlighted concerns over Ronaldo’s finishing, as he failed to convert any of his four clear scoring opportunities, despite being actively involved throughout the game.
