VICTOR Osimhen limped off early in the second half today for the Super Eagles as they conceded a late goal to draw 2-2 with Saudi Arabia in a friendly match in Portimao, Portugal.
The Napoli striker started the match in a top-heavy Nigeria line-up that also had forwards Victor Boniface, Samuel Chukwueze and Ademola Lookman, with Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi the only midfielders.
The Super Eagles created several gilt-edged opportunities in the first 30 minutes but they fluffed them all, Chukwueze and Lookman the worst culprits.
On one occasion just before half-time, Lookman was through on goal with only the Saudi Arabia goalkeeper to beat but he screwed his shot horribly wide after ignoring an open Osimhen.
That was 15 minutes after Chukwueze blasted the ball high and wide when it was pushed to him by the Saudi keeper in the box.
Osimhen was taken off 13 minutes into the second half after a knock and replaced by Nice striker Terem Moffi.
Saudi Arabia scored the opening goal just two minutes after the change as goalkeeper Francis Uzoho somehow pushed the ball into his own net from an angled free-kick by Salman Al-Faraj that looked rather harmless.
Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro reacted to the goal with a triple change, bringing on Bright Osayi-Samuel, Moses Simon and Kelechi Iheanacho for Tyrone Ebuehi, Chukwueze and Lookman.
Nigeria were back on level terms eight minutes after the changes, with one of the substitutes, Simon, forcing an own goal by Abdulelah Ali Awadh Al-Amri with a low cross after being fed by a through pass from Ndidi.
The Super Eagles then took the lead through another substitute in the 81st minute, Iheanacho rifling home from the edge of the box.
Unusually, the friendly had Video Assistant Referee (VAR), which held up play as two handballs were checked against Nigeria and their first goal was examined for offside.
The delays led to an unusually long stoppage time for a friendly, with the referee indicating nine minutes.
It was in the final seconds of this added time that Saudi Arabia struck their equaliser, Mohamed Kanno’s free-kick from the edge of the Nigeria box taking a slight deflection into the net.
The last-gasp equaliser prevented a seventh straight defeat for Saudi Arabia and a third consecutive loss for their new Italian head coach Roberto Mancini.
The Super Eagles will face Mozambique on Monday in another friendly in Portimao.
