Super Eagles left-back Bruno Onyemaechi has spoken after acquiring Cristiano Ronaldo's match-worn jersey following Nigeria's 2-1 loss to Portugal in their final friendly of the June international break.
Match Overview
Chelsea winger Pedro Neto opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, but Akor Adams equalized for Nigeria in the 37th minute. Francisco Conceicao netted the winner in the 75th minute. The defeat marked the Super Eagles' second loss in regulation time under coach Eric Chelle since taking over, following a previous loss to Egypt before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye kept the scoreline respectable with five brilliant saves, including one against Ronaldo in the first half.
Post-Match Contrasts
The match was the final game of the window for both nations, but their paths diverge afterward. Nigerian players will now proceed on holiday, while Portugal heads to the World Cup. The friendly would have been a World Cup group-stage encounter had Nigeria qualified, but Portugal instead faced DR Congo, who eliminated Nigeria from the playoffs.
This was the second friendly between Nigeria and Portugal before a World Cup, following a 4-0 win for Portugal in 2022 before the Qatar tournament. In that edition, Portugal faced Ghana, who had eliminated the Super Eagles.
Onyemaechi's Special Souvenir
Bruno Onyemaechi was the fortunate player to receive Ronaldo's match-worn jersey, while other teammates only got pictures, handshakes, and embraces. The Olympiacos left-back held his own against the five-time Ballon d'Or winner during Ronaldo's 65 minutes on the pitch.
Onyemaechi shared photos from the match on his Instagram page, highlighting the one where he holds Ronaldo's jersey on his story with the caption: "dream come true?" Notably, the first picture on Ronaldo's Instagram page was the one showing him and Onyemaechi in action during the match.
The Owerri-born star spent seven years in Portugal after moving to Europe from Nigeria. His first move outside Portugal came when he joined Olympiacos in 2025.
Onyemaechi's Reaction to Nigeria's Performance
Speaking to OJB Sports in the mixed zone, Onyemaechi expressed satisfaction with the quality of the opponent and hopes for more such tests for the team.
"It's a very good game, it's a very competitive game for us to test our abilities. We are a great nation, too. This is the type of game we need to play to test our abilities. I hope we will have more of this to play against," he said.
Ronaldo Reacts to First Match Against Nigeria
Cristiano Ronaldo reacted after playing against the Super Eagles for the first time in his illustrious career. He did not feature when the two sides met before the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which Portugal won 4-0.
