Moses Simon and Akor Adams were on the scoresheet as Nigeria sealed a 2-1 win over Iran in an international friendly match at the Antalya Stadium in Turkey on Friday.
The Super Eagles, alongside Iran, Jordan and Costa Rica were the participants in a four-nation tournament which was initially slated to hold in Jordan.
However, the middle East conflict which had affected most of the region forced the venue to be changed to Turkey.
Nigeria were missing Victor Osimhen and Stanley Nwabali, while Calvin Bassey was forced to withdraw earlier in the week with injury.
Eric Chelle stuck with most of his trusted guys, with the likes of Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, Wilfried Ndidi, Semi Ajayi and the likes all making the lineup, while Maduka Okoye returned in goal after missing the 2025 African Cup of Nations tournament.
The African giants had the first real chance of the game and broke the deadlock in the sixth minute, as Samuel Chukwueze played a brilliant pass to Simon, who fired into the net.
Adams also had another chance to add to the tally, but his effort hit the side-netting with Nigeria dominating the clash and limiting the impact of the Asian side to take a 1-0 advantage into the break.
The advantage was doubled few minutes into the second half after the impressive Lookman played a pass into Adams, who applied an easy finish to make it 2-0.
Iran then started to find their way back into the encounter and they halved the deficit through Mehdi Taremi in the 67th minute.
The former Inter Milan forward scored another goal moments later, but it was ruled out after he had handled the ball in the buildup, as the match ended 2-1 in favour of Nigeria.
The Super Eagles return to action on Tuesday when they face Jordan, while Iran also face Costa Rica on the same day.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
