Coaches Jose Peseiro and Roberto Mancini will be aiming for their first win in a friendly game when they lead their respective teams out in an international friendly at the Estádio Municipal de Portimao, Portugal on Friday (today), PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The kick-off time for the international friendly, which is the second between both teams, kicks off by 5pm. Their only encounter, another friendly, ended in a 0-0 stalemate in 2010 in Austria.
Peseiro and Roberto Mancini are yet to taste victory in friendlies since they took charge of Nigeria and Saudi Arabia respectively.
While Peseiro has failed to record a win in friendly games against Portugal, Costa Rica, Algeria, Ecuador and Mexico since his appointment in 2022, Mancini also has suffered the same fate, losing his first two games as coach of the Green Falcons.
Both coaches will seek to make amends in tonight’s game, which serves as preparations for their respective tasks ahead.
Mancini, who watched his side lose 3-1 to Costa Rica and 1-0 to Korea Republic in his opening two games, will also aim to end the Green Falcons’ six-game winless run in the encounter, as the Saudis head into the game against Nigeria after losing all their last six matches.
The Green Falcons will be hoping to get their first victory under Mancini, who was appointed in August, but it won’t be easy curtailing the Nigerian side, who boast of the best striker in the Italian league, Victor Osimhen, in their ranks.
Osimhen, who finished as the top scorer in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying round with 10 goals, has scored the same number of goals in his last six games for the Eagles and is expected to extend his scoring streak for Nigeria, as they look to bag their first-ever win against the Green Falcons.
Peseiro also boasts the likes of Victor Boniface, Terem Moffi, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman in his squad.
Speaking ahead of the encounter, 1980 AFCON winner and former U-23 coach, Kadiri Ikhana, warned the Eagles against complacency, considering their impressive form ahead of the fixture.
Nigeria are ranked 40th in the world, 17 places above Saudi Arabia, and are coming off the back of three consecutive wins in qualification for the 2023 African Cup of Nations next January.
“It’s going to be a tough game for the Eagles because there is a football revolution going on in Saudi Arabia that will shape up their national teams. They also have an experienced coach, an Italian that knows our players very well,” Ikhana told PUNCH Sports Extra.
“I hope they build on their good form with a win. I will also want to see how he deploys the plethora of attacking talents.”
Meanwhile, world football body, FIFA, has appointed Portuguese official Luis Godinho as referee for the game. He will be assisted by compatriots Bruno Jesus (assistant referee one), Tiago Costa (assistant referee two) and Miguel Noguera (fourth official).
FIFA also named Helder Carvalho to head the situation in the Video Assistant Referee room, and Bruno Vieira as Carvalho’s assistant.
