Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has hailed Nigeria’s Super Eagles as a competitive and talented side as the two teams prepare to clash in a high-profile friendly on Wednesday.
The much-anticipated match will take place at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria and will serve as Portugal’s final warm-up game before they head to the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Nigeria, under coach Eric Chelle, will use the encounter to test their squad depth against strong European opposition.
During the pre-match press conference, Martinez expressed respect for Nigeria’s attacking threats and overall quality.
“In terms of the forward players of Nigeria, they are very helpful for us to defend as a team,” he said.
He added that he enjoyed Nigeria’s recent friendly against Poland and admires Chelle’s tactical ideas.
“Nigeria are very competitive. I love the ideas of the coach. I can see players like Lookman and Osimhen are not here and they get replaced by players with a high level of performance,” Martinez noted.
He highlighted experienced stars who will make the game demanding.
“I expect a competitive game with real quality players with a lot of experience — Bassey, Iwobi, players with a lot of experience that I know so well.”
The last time the two nations met, in November 2022, Portugal defeated Nigeria 4–0 in a World Cup warm-up fixture.
However, Martinez revealed he was unaware of that result and anticipates a much tougher contest this time around.
Meanwhile, Portugal head into the 2026 tournament placed in Group K alongside DR Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia.
The friendly against Nigeria offers Martinez’s men a final chance to fine-tune their squad and build confidence before the global showpiece.