Nigeria’s senior national team, the Super Eagles, played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with the Jordanian national football team in an international friendly held in Antalya, Turkey, on Tuesday night.
The encounter, staged at the Mardan Sports Complex, marked the conclusion of Nigeria’s March international window and provided a stern test against a Jordanian side ranked 64th globally and currently enjoying impressive form.
Jordan struck first in the 17th minute through Mousa Tamari, who capitalised on a well-worked free-kick routine to beat the Nigerian defence.
Nigeria thought they had responded swiftly when Raphael Onyedika found the net, but the goal was disallowed following a contentious decision by the match officials.
The Super Eagles eventually drew level in the 30th minute, with stand-in captain Moses Simon marking his 97th international appearance with a clinical finish after an initial effort by Ademola Lookman was blocked.
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Nigeria completed the comeback just before halftime when Emmanuel Fernandez, making his full debut, calmly finished from a precise delivery by Bright Osayi-Samuel to hand his side a 2-1 lead at the break.
The second half saw a more physical contest, with goalkeeper Francis Uzoho forced off due to injury and replaced by Adebayo Adeleye.
Head coach Eric Chelle introduced experienced midfielders Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi to stabilise proceedings, with Iwobi earning his 98th cap for the national team.
Jordan’s persistence paid off in the 77th minute as they found an equaliser, underlining their growing reputation on the international stage.
Nigeria made further changes late on, handing a senior debut to Philip Otele, while Samuel Chukwueze also came on as the team pushed for a winner.
However, the closing moments were overshadowed by a straight red card shown to Iwobi, capping off a tense finale.
Despite the result, the match offered valuable insights for the technical crew as Nigeria continued preparations for upcoming competitions, including the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
