On Saturday night, the Mexican national team defeated Nigeria in an international friendly at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
The encounter is José Peseiro’s first since taking over as Super Eagles Head Coach earlier this month.
The match is the country’s first after failing to secure a place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Many first-team players were absent, including Captain Ahmed Musa, while a raucous, boisterous, and united 52,000 restless crowd cheered on the Mexicans in the world’s largest covered arena.
With their exquisite passes, outstanding positional play, and casual telepathy, the El Tri dominated the early stages.
They took the lead after 13 minutes when Santiago Gimenez found himself alone with goalkeeper Francis Uzoho and guided home despite Uzoho’s heroic efforts to keep the ball out of the net.
After that, the arena, which also features the world’s largest hung-scoreboard, shook to its foundation, and the Eagles had to find courage, a sense of mission, and ambition to keep from collapsing completely under pressure.
Several opportunities for the El Tri arose as a result of attack after onslaught, but Uzoho and the Nigerian rearguard, which included Semi Ajayi, William Ekong, and Chidozie Awaziem, kept the wolves at bay.
Luis Francisco Romo, Captain Andres Guardado, Rodolfo Pizzaro, Jesus Gallardo, Roberto Alvarado, and Gimenez tried a few times to through the Nigerian defense, but they were unable to do so.
Peseiro went for a versatile and intriguing 3-5-2 system, with Moses Simon and Calvin Bassey on the wings and Joe Aribo, Alex Iwobi, and Innocent Bonke in the middle. Terem Moffi and Cyriel Dessers looked for the goals.
Nigeria equalized in the 54th minute, much to the chagrin of the overwhelming Mexican support and bench, led by Coach Gerardo Martino, as Calvin Bassey’s stunning in-swinger was nodded home by Dessers, with goalkeeper Rodolfo Cota scrambling in vain.
However, while looking for a winner, the Eagles suffered an unlucky own goal in the 56th minute when Ekong swept into his own while attempting to clear the ball away from danger.
After the first 45 minutes, home-based professionals Sani Faisal, Victor Mbaoma, Chiamaka Madu, and Ishaq Kayode all performed admirably.
“I am happy with what we put up out there. It was the first time after the disappointment of the World Cup playoff and you can say this is a makeshift team, while Mexico had their full-strength squad out there. I like what I saw today and I have confidence that we have appointed the right coach that can restore the glory of the Super Eagles and make them start winning once more,” President of the NFF and FIFA Council Member, Amaju Pinnick, said after the game.
Nigeria had eight shots on goal to Mexico’s twelve, while Uzoho made four saves to one for Cota.
The Eagles will fly to New Jersey on Sunday morning ahead of their match against Ecuador at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison on Thursday.
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