Izuchukwu OkosiNigeria’s Super Eagles and Saudi Arabia will clash in a senior international friendly match in the city of Portimão, Portugal on Friday, 13th October 2023, the Communications and Media department of the Nigeria Football Federation have announced.
The clash comes barely a month before the three-time African champions, who lashed Sao Tome and Principe 6-0 in their 2023 AFCON final-day qualification game in Uyo on Sunday, set out on the race for a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals with a home game against the Crocodiles of Lesotho.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelWithin the same FIFA window in November, the Eagles will play their second match of the qualification series, away to the Warriors of Zimbabwe.
Saudi Arabia’s Green Falcons, who play Mali’s Eagles at the same venue four days later, have never played Nigeria at senior level.
The most remarkable clash between both countries remains the opening match of FIFA U20 World Cup (then known as FIFA World Youth Championship) in 1989, in which second half goals Chrstopher Ohenhen and Mutiu Adepoju steered Nigeria to a comeback 2-1 victory over the host nation in Riyadh.
The Estadio Municipal de Portimão, in the Algarve, is the home ground of Portimonense S.C. and can seat close to 10,000 spectators.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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