… Moffi, Simon step up in Osimhen’s absence to lift Super Eagles
The three-time African champions were the better side in Portugal as they cruised to a straightforward victory over 10-Man Mozambique in their second international friendly game at the Estadio Municipal de Albufeira on Monday evening.
The Super Eagles’ win on Monday marked the Nigerian team’s first victory in a friendly game in five years.
With Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Kelechi Iheanacho unavailable, head coach Jose Peseiro was certain to make changes to the starting eleven that played against Saudi Arabia on Friday, as Frank Onyeka scored his first-ever goal for Nigeria.
The changes, though, were massive as Jordan Torunarigha, making his international debut, paired Kenneth Omeruo in defence, with Bright Osayi-Samuel holding forte at right-back.
Raphael Onyedika and Frank Onyeka slotted in midfield alongside Joe Aribo, while Fisayo Dele-Bashiru also made his Super Eagles bow just behind Moses Simon and Terem Moffi in attack.
Strangely, goalkeeper Francis Uzoho retained his spot between the goalposts despite his horrible error against Saudi Arabia, Soccernet reports.
And the Omonia Nicosia shot-stopper was again not covered in glory when Geny Catamo gave Mozambique the lead with only six minutes on the clock.
The Super Eagles were stunned by that early goal, but they recovered quickly enough as Terem Moffi grabbed the equaliser in the 19th minute. The OGC Nice forward reacted the fastest to a rebound after the goalkeeper spilled a shot to stab home from close range.
On the half-hour mark, Dele-Bashiru marked his Super Eagles debut with an assist as he set the ball up for Onyeka to make it 2-1 for Nigeria.
Things went from bad to worse for Mozambique as their player Edmilson Dove was sent off on 37 minutes for fouling goal-bound Joe Aribo.
On 45 minutes, the Super Eagles added their third as Moses Simon made no mistake from the penalty spot, after a Mozambique player was judged by the referee to have stopped Dele-Bashiru’s free-kick with his hand.
Another momentary loss of concentration at the start of the second half allowed Faisal Bangal to steal in and score the second goal for Mozambique in the the 55th minute.
Still, the Super Eagles were the dominant side, especially in attack, where Nigeria had several chances to extend their lead.
In the 70th minute, substitute Umar Sadiq got the ball into the net, but it was ruled out for offside. Alex Iwobi also shot wide midway through the second period before Victor Boniface struck another effort that was cancelled.
Despite the wasted opportunities, the Super Eagles were good for the win, registering their fourth victory over the last five games and returning to winning ways after the draw with Saudi Arabia.
Next for Nigeria are two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The Super Eagles will host Lesotho on 13 November, then travel to Harare to face Zimbabwe on 20 November.
