Portugal have been strengthened ahead of their final World Cup preparation match against Nigeria after Paris Saint-Germain players Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, João Neves, and Gonçalo Ramos linked up with the national team on Saturday.
The four players joined the squad just days before Wednesday’s friendly fixture against the Super Eagles at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria. Nigerian forward Terem Moffi has already cautioned that Portugal will provide a far sterner challenge than Poland, whom Nigeria recently faced.
The PSG quartet had missed the opening days of Portugal’s training camp due to their involvement in the club’s UEFA Champions League final victory over Arsenal the previous weekend. Mendes, Vitinha, and Neves were part of the starting lineup in the final, while Ramos was introduced later in the match.
According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Friday’s session was the final training exercise conducted without the PSG players, who officially joined the rest of the squad on Saturday.
As a result, the four stars were unavailable for Portugal’s friendly against Chile at the Estádio Nacional do Jamor but are expected to be in contention for the encounter against Nigeria, provided they are fully fit.
Head coach Roberto Martínez could have an almost complete squad available for the match. João Félix also participated in the opening 15 minutes of Friday’s training session, which was accessible to the media, as he continues his recovery and return to full fitness.
Portugal and Nigeria have crossed paths only once at senior international level. Their previous meeting, a pre-World Cup friendly in Lisbon on November 17, 2022, ended in a commanding 4-0 win for Portugal. Bruno Fernandes scored twice, while Gonçalo Ramos and João Mário added the other goals. Nigeria also missed a penalty through Emmanuel Dennis.
This time, however, the Super Eagles head into the contest in improved form. Under coach Eric Chelle, Nigeria recently retained the Unity Cup in London after victories over Zimbabwe and Jamaica before securing a 2-2 draw against Poland in Warsaw, despite surrendering a lead on two occasions.
Portugal goalkeeper José Sá and Manchester City centre-back Rúben Dias have both stressed the importance of the match, describing it as a valuable opportunity to fine-tune tactical preparations ahead of the World Cup. Portugal will compete in a group featuring DR Congo, Colombia, and Uzbekistan.
Speaking ahead of the fixture, Moffi acknowledged the scale of the challenge facing Nigeria.
“We played well against Poland and I was pleased to get on the scoresheet, but Portugal will present a much tougher examination for the Super Eagles,” he said.
Nigeria will, however, be without some key names. Captain Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman opted out of the squad after a demanding club season, while Ola Aina was left out following an injury that ruled him out of the final part of his club campaign.
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