The Super Eagles of Nigeria produced another encouraging display but were denied victory by a dramatic late equaliser as they settled for a 2-2 draw against Poland in an entertaining international friendly at the PGE National Stadium in Warsaw.
Fresh from their successful Unity Cup campaign, Nigeria fielded a completely different starting lineup from the side that defeated Jamaica in the final.
Head coach Eric Chelle handed a debut to 21-year-old Banik Ostrava defender Abdullahi Bewene at right back, while Maduka Okoye started in goal. Emmanuel Fernandez and Igoh Ogbu formed the central defensive partnership, with Bruno Onyemaechi at left back. Captain Wilfred Ndidi lined up in midfield alongside Frank Onyeka, Tochukwu Nnadi and Moses Simon, while Terem Moffi and Akor Adams led the attack.
Poland started brightly and almost took the lead in the fourth minute. A dangerous cross from Nicola Zalewski found Jakub Kaminski unmarked inside the box, but the winger failed to direct his header on target despite having Robert Lewandowski waiting behind him. Moments later, another delivery into the area caused problems, but Lewandowski could not make contact.
The Super Eagles gradually settled into the contest and took the lead in the 23rd minute after a superb attacking move. Ndidi drove forward with purpose before releasing Moses Simon on the left flank. Simon delivered a precise cut back into the path of Terem Moffi, who calmly tapped the ball into the net. Although the assistant referee initially flagged for offside, a VAR review confirmed the goal two minutes later.
The visitors continued to impress and nearly doubled their advantage before the break. In the 40th minute, another flowing move ended with Nnadi testing goalkeeper Kamil Grabara from distance. The Polish goalkeeper pushed the effort away for a corner. From the resulting set piece, Simon found Moffi in the box, but his header went straight into Grabara’s hands.
Poland responded just before halftime and grabbed an equaliser deep into stoppage time. Nigeria failed to clear a corner properly, allowing Zalewski to send a low ball back into the danger area. Teenage defender Kacper Potulski reacted quickest and diverted the ball into the net to make it 1-1.
At the break, Nigeria edged possession with 56 percent compared to Poland’s 44 percent. The Super Eagles registered four shots and one corner, while Poland recorded six attempts and four corners. Both goalkeepers made two saves each during an evenly contested first half.
Chelle made several changes after the restart as Paul Onuachu, Calvin Bassey, Philip Otele, Rafiu Durosinmi, Zaidu Sanusi and Raphael Onyedika entered the game.
The Super Eagles came close to restoring their lead in the 54th minute. A short free kick routine ended with Semi Ajayi delivering a cross into the box, where Onuachu rose highest but headed narrowly wide.
Two minutes later, Moses Simon once again created danger down the left. His low cross caused confusion inside the Polish penalty area before the ball fell kindly to Onyedika, who fired over the bar from a promising position.
Poland almost capitalised on a costly mistake in the 72nd minute. A misplaced back pass from Sanusi forced Okoye into a desperate recovery run. Lewandowski seized on the opportunity but surprisingly failed to convert as Nigeria escaped punishment.
The Super Eagles immediately pushed forward and nearly scored. Otele’s cross was only partially cleared before Fisayo Dele Bashiru laid the ball into Sanusi’s path. The left back unleashed a powerful effort that forced Grabara into another excellent save.
Nigeria’s pressure finally paid off in the 75th minute when VAR awarded a penalty after a Polish defender handled Ndidi’s pass inside the box. Onuachu stepped up two minutes later and confidently sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to restore Nigeria’s advantage.
The hosts pushed hard for another equaliser, but Okoye produced a brilliant double save in the 82nd minute. The Udinese goalkeeper first denied Lewandowski from close range before reacting quickly to stop Jan Bednarek from converting the rebound.
It looked as though Nigeria would secure a famous victory in Warsaw. However, Poland struck in dramatic fashion in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Right back Wisniewski unleashed a powerful long range effort that swerved beyond Okoye and into the net for his first international goal, rescuing a 2-2 draw for the hosts.
The result extended Poland’s recent struggles at the back, having failed to keep a clean sheet in their previous five matches. Nigeria, meanwhile, continued to show signs of progress under Chelle despite being denied victory at the death.
The Super Eagles had won the previous meeting between both nations 1-0 in March 2018, with Victor Moses scoring the only goal from the penalty spot in Wroclaw.
Nigeria will now turn their attention to another major test as they prepare to face World Cup bound Portugal in their next international friendly on June 10.
