Mexico earned a 2-1 victory over Nigeria in a friendly on Saturday night as El Tri launched summer matches in preparation for the 2022 World Cup.
The arena also has the world’s largest hung scoreboard (said to be bigger than a basketball court).
This was the first match of Coach José Peseiro as Head Coach of the Super Eagles, a largely under-strength squad fought courageously and commendably against CONCACAF‘s perennial champions.
Devoid so many first-team players including Captain Ahmed Musa and being the first time they were coming together for any session since the disapappointment of the 2022 FIFA World Cup ticket miss, the three-time African champions were propelled to be sitting ducks for the Mexicans to roast in the State of Texas – a jurisdiction that shares a border with Mexico and where Mexico’s lingua franca, Spanish is taught in schools as a second language.
Peseiro opted for a flexible and intriguing 3-5-2 formation, with Moses Simon and Calvin Bassey deployed as wing-backs, and Joe Aribo, Alex Iwobi and Innocent Bonke serving in midfield. Cyriel Dessers and Terem Moffi searched for the goals.
In this pulsating period, they were able to shoot ahead after 13 minutes when Santiago Gimenez found himself all alone with goalkeeper Francis Uzoho and drove home despite Uzoho’s valiant efforts to keep the ball away.
Nigeria equalized in the 54th minute after Calvin Bassey’s superb in-swinger was bossed home by Dessers, with goalkeeper Rodolfo Cota shuffling in vain.
Nonetheless, the Eagles, while searching for a winner, conceded an unfortunate own goal in the 56th minute, as Ekong swept into his own while trying to clear the ball from danger.
Nigeria had eight shots on goal compared to Mexico’s 12, while Uzoho made four saves as against Cota’s one.
The Eagles are scheduled to fly to New Jersey on Sunday morning, ahead of Thursday’s clash with Ecuador at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison.
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