Super Eagles Denied Victory as Poland Grab Late Draw in Warsaw
by Olamide Abe, https://www.facebook.com/legitngnews · Legit.ng News · Join- Paul Onuachu scored from the penalty spot as Nigeria came close to beating Poland in Warsaw
- Terem Moffi also got on the scoresheet in an entertaining international friendly
- Poland rescued a 2-2 draw with the final kick of the match through Przemysław Wiśniewski
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The Super Eagles of Nigeria were denied victory in dramatic fashion after Poland scored with virtually the last kick of the game to secure a 2-2 draw in an international friendly played in Warsaw.
Nigeria looked on course for an impressive away win after goals from Terem Moffi and Paul Onuachu handed Eric Chelle’s side the advantage, but the hosts fought back twice to ensure both teams shared the spoils.
According to the NFF, the encounter served as another valuable test for the Super Eagles following their successful Unity Cup campaign in London and offered several positives ahead of their upcoming clash against Portugal.
Moffi fires Nigeria ahead
With neither side involved in this summer’s FIFA World Cup, the fixture provided an opportunity for both nations to build momentum ahead of future competitive assignments.
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Poland started brightly and should have taken the lead inside the opening 10 minutes. Nicola Zalewski delivered an inviting cross to the far post where Jakub Kamiński found himself completely unmarked, but the winger somehow headed wide from close range.
The hosts continued to enjoy more possession and created another opening midway through the first half. Sebastian Szymański's delivery found Robert Lewandowski, but the outgoing Barcelona striker could only direct his effort into the hands of Nigerian goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.
The miss proved costly as Nigeria punished Poland with their first meaningful attack of the evening in the 23rd minute.
Wilfred Ndidi drove forward from midfield before releasing Moses Simon down the flank. The Nantes winger burst into space and squared the ball across goal for Terem Moffi, who calmly tapped into an empty net to put the visitors ahead.
Poland respond before halftime
Despite falling behind, Poland continued to push for an equaliser and nearly found one before halftime.
Tochukwu Nnadi almost doubled Nigeria’s advantage with a superb long-range strike, but goalkeeper Kamil Grabara produced an outstanding one-handed save to keep the scoreline respectable.
That stop proved significant moments later.
Deep into first-half stoppage time, Poland capitalised from a set-piece situation. Following sustained pressure inside the Nigerian penalty area, defender Kacper Potulski reacted quickest and bundled the ball home for his first senior international goal.
The equaliser ensured both teams went into the break level at 1-1 despite Nigeria creating the clearer opportunities.
Onuachu restores Super Eagles lead
The Super Eagles emerged strongly after halftime and should have regained the lead within 10 minutes of the restart.
Two substitutes combined brilliantly when Semi Ajayi delivered an excellent cross into the area, but Paul Onuachu headed narrowly wide from six yards out.
Nigeria continued to threaten while Poland struggled to create clear openings after making several changes.
The match remained evenly balanced until the closing stages when another major turning point arrived.
Poland thought they had created a promising attacking situation, but following a lengthy VAR review, referee officials spotted a handball by Kacper Kozłowski inside the penalty area.
The decision handed Nigeria a golden opportunity to move ahead.
Onuachu stepped up confidently and converted from the spot, sending Grabara the wrong way to give the Super Eagles a deserved 2-1 lead.
The goal capped another encouraging outing for the Trabzonspor striker, who recently spoke about his disappointment over Nigeria's failure to qualify for the World Cup despite possessing what he described as a squad filled with world-class talent.
Poland strike with final kick
Nigeria looked set to record an impressive victory on Polish soil as the clock ticked into stoppage time.
The visitors defended resolutely and appeared to have weathered the late pressure from the hosts.
However, Poland found one final moment of inspiration. With virtually the last kick of the match, centre-back Przemysław Wiśniewski advanced from deep and unleashed a thunderous strike from around 40 yards.
The effort flew into the top corner beyond Okoye's reach, sparking celebrations among the home supporters and sealing a dramatic 2-2 draw.
Per the Polish Football Association, the late equaliser extended Poland’s unbeaten run in matches played in Warsaw to five games and ensured Jan Urban’s side suffered just one defeat in their last 14 international friendlies.
The result may have felt frustrating for Chelle and his boys, given how close they came to victory, but there were still plenty of positives for Chelle to take from the performance.
The Super Eagles showed attacking quality, resilience and organisation against a strong European opponent and will now turn their attention to an even tougher challenge.
Eagles face Portugal next
Legit.ng previously reported that the Super Eagles will now lock horns with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal on June 10 after the Poland match in Warsaw.
The two June friendlies come on the back of Nigeria’s Unity Cup triumph, where the Super Eagles defeated Zimbabwe and Jamaica at The Valley in London to lift their fourth consecutive title in the competition.