The Super Eagles of Nigeria were held to an entertaining 2-2 draw against Jordan at the Mardan Sports Complex on Tuesday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nigeria locked horns with the Al-Nashama of Jordan in their second fixture of the March international break.
Having defeated Iran 2-1 in their opening game, the Eagles were favorites to secure another positive result against a Jordanian side that, on paper, possessed less quality.
Heading into the encounter, coach Eric Chelle made six changes to his starting eleven, partly due to injuries and also to afford fringe players valuable match minutes.
The impact of these rotations was evident from kick-off, as the team lacked cohesion and struggled to gain a foothold in the match.
While they eventually found their composure, they were pegged back by a bold Jordanian side that pressured from the opening whistle, led by their primary threat, Musa Al-Taamari.
The Al-Nashama earned a free-kick just outside the box following a dangerous play. After a well-executed routine, Al-Taamari unleashed a powerful piledriver that beat Francis Uzoho, nesting into the bottom-right corner to make it 1-0 after 17 minutes.
The Super Eagles responded strongly. They thought they had equalized in the 22nd minute when the ball found the back of the net, but the referee ruled it out, adjudging Akor Adams to be in an offside position.
However, just three minutes later, Nigeria struck again—and this time, it counted. A deflected shot from inside the area fell perfectly to Moses Simon at the edge of the D. He made no mistake, striking the ball with venom into the bottom-right corner to restore parity at 1-1.
The game remained surprisingly open, with Jordan creating several clear-cut opportunities they failed to convert. The Super Eagles were more clinical, taking their chance in the 41st minute.
A cross swung into the area evaded the defense and found Emmanuel Fernandez at the back post. He controlled the ball composedly, wrong-footed the goalkeeper, and slotted it home from close range to give Nigeria a 2-1 lead heading into the break.
The second half began on an equally lively note, but the Super Eagles suffered a significant setback in the 56th minute when Francis Uzoho fell to the turf untouched.
Unable to continue, he was replaced by Adebayo Adeleye. In an attempt to seize control, coach Chelle introduced regulars Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi.
However, the substitutions failed to spark a turnaround. Nigeria struggled to establish a foothold in midfield, and their attacking forays diminished significantly.
Their lack of control was eventually punished in the 77th minute when Mohammad Al Aldahod scored to level the game at 2-2. Even after the equalizer, Nigeria struggled to carve out any clear-cut chances.
The match took a chaotic turn just before full-time when Iwobi was sent off for retaliation. As a Jordanian player held him back during a driving run, Iwobi reacted by grabbing the opponent by the neck and pulling him down.
A melee ensued, with players and staff from both sides rushing onto the pitch. Once order was restored, the referee issued a red card to Iwobi and booked Ademola Lookman with a yellow.
Ultimately, the contest ended in a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes.
More to follow…
