Wilfred Ndidi Sends Strong Message to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal Ahead of Friendly Game
- Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has fired a strong warning to Portugal ahead of the international friendly
- Nigeria and Portugal will face off in their respective final friendly match of the June international window
- The Europeans will fly to the USA for the World Cup, while Nigeria failed to qualify for the tournament
Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has fired a strong warning to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal ahead of their friendly match against Nigeria.
Nigeria and Portugal are set to clash in a friendly match in Leiria as the Europeans prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Source: Getty Images
The last time the two sides met was in a friendly match before the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a 4-0 loss for the Super Eagles, and, as in 2026, it was Portugal’s final match, while Nigeria failed to qualify.
Nigeria are coming off a 2-2 draw against Poland, while Portugal defeated Chile 2-1 in their first preparation match ahead of the World Cup.
As noted by the NFF, Eric Chelle has a strong squad of 22 players to pick from despite the absence of Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Igoh Ogbu’s withdrawal due to injury.
Soon-to-be Super Eagles centurion Alex Iwobi will return to orchestrate the midfield alongside captain Wilfred Ndidi. Calvin Bassey will lead the defence, and FC Porto star Terem Moffi will lead the attack.
Ndidi sends message to Portugal
Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi, speaking during the press conference ahead of the match, admitted that it will be a good test for the team.
“It will be a very good test for us,” Ndidi said. “We made the first test against Poland, and Portugal is a great team, a massive team with big players as well.”
“So, it will also be a very massive test for us as a group, for our vision, for our aim as a team, for our growth; it will be a very good test for us.”
The captain warned Portugal that Nigeria is not scared of facing any team because the mentality in the Super Eagles’ camp is to focus on their game, and not on the opponent.
Source: Getty Images
“We believe in ourselves. We don't care who we're playing, even if we're playing the likes of the biggest countries in the world,” he added.
“The most important thing is we as players, we as a team, which is very important, and we look forward to taking our philosophy and our strategy to the game.”
The captain was asked about how the World Cup miss affects the team’s mentality, but he refused to dwell on the past and is instead focused on the future of the team.
Where to watch Portugal vs Nigeria
Legit.ng previously reported where to watch Portugal vs Nigeria’s friendly match at the 29,000-capacity Estádio Dr Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria.
The match will be available to watch on terrestrial TV channels, SuperSport on DStv and GOtv and streaming platforms for the Nigerian audience.
Source: Legit.ng
