When Portugal plays Nigeria in their international friendly on Wednesday at the Estadio Dr. Magalhaes Pessoa in Leiria, head coach Roberto Martinez has acknowledged that he anticipates a “highly competitive” match.
The match carries different significance for both nations. For the Super Eagles, it forms part of their rebuilding process after missing out on qualification for the 2026 World Cup, while the Europeans will use the fixture as crucial preparation for their tournament opener against DR Congo.
Martinez was questioned by Flashscore during his pre-match conference regarding the challenge he anticipates from Chelle’s team and the main lessons he wants to learn from the friendly.
Although the Spaniard acknowledged the caliber of the three-time African champions, he pointed out that the match would give his men a perfect test and enable his team to evaluate all facets of their game prior to facing Sebastien Desabre’s Leopards.
The former manager of Belgium stated, “I think there are two main aspects for us (before we play) against a team like Congo.”
“There are certain features of Nigeria’s forward players that I believe will be very helpful for us as a team to defend in the places we’re going to encounter against DR Congo.
“A Nigerian squad should be fiercely competitive.
“I had fun in the most recent friendly match versus Poland. I adore the coach’s ideas. I believe that as a team, they can adapt and suit different players in different places by utilizing the many systems they employ.
Additionally, he characterized the Super Eagles as a fiercely competitive team that can uphold high standards even in the absence of important players like Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.
He went on, “I can see that players like Osimhen and Lookman are obviously not here, but they are replaced by other players.”
They perform at an extremely high level, and I anticipate a fiercely competitive game.
“Excellent players with a wealth of experience, such as Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey—guys I know quite well. I anticipate a competitive game that will benefit both sides in a number of ways.
Portugal is seeking to win the title for the first time as they make their seventh appearance at the world championship. Their greatest performance is still their third-place result from the 1966 tournament held in England.
On June 17, Martinez and his team start their campaign against the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Six days later, they play debutants Uzbekistan in Houston. On June 27 in Miami, they will play Colombia in their last Group K match.
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