The Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Saudi Arabian National again failed to claim the bragging rights in their second-ever meeting as both teams played 2-2 draw in a friendly match on Friday.
Wasteful Super Eagles missed a lot of chances in the first half with Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze blowing off goal opportunities.
The Saudis would later shock the Eagles when they get a goal on the hour mark after goalkeeper Francis Uzoho palmed the ball into his own net from a free-kick way out on the right flank by Salman Al Faraj.
Nigeria increased their stock when Coach Jose Peseiro introduced Terem Moffi for the injured Victor Osimhen, and brought in Bright Osayi-Samuel, Kelechi Iheanacho and Moses Simon to relieve Tyronne Ebuehi, Lookman and Chukwueze.
The tactical change would eventually add up to the Eagles’ quest for a goal when Simon laid the ball to Victor Boniface to score his first Nigeria goal from a tight angle in the 73rd minute.
Some Eight minutes later, Iheanacho drove the ball powerfully into the net beyond the flailing hands of the Falcons’ goalie, after Moffi and Simon combined to put the opposing defence in knots.
Just as when the three times AFCON champion thought it had ended, Saudi Arabia got a late equalizer from the set piece after converting a deflected free kick in the 96th minute of the game.
On Monday, the Super Eagles will take on the Mambas of Mozambique in another friendly encounter at the same venue, before 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe next month while they also continue their search for a first friendly win in four years.
This result means that Nigeria is still searching for its first win in an international friendly game since 2019 when it last defeated Egypt at the Stephen Keshi stadium in Asaba, Delta state by a lone goal courtesy of Paul Onuachu’s brilliant strike in the 20 seconds of the game.