Nigeria kicked off their post-AFCON 2025 campaign with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Iran in an international friendly, marking their first outing since securing a bronze medal at the tournament.
Eric Chelle maintained tactical consistency, deploying a familiar 4-2-3-1 formation with largely unchanged personnel.
However, there was a notable shift in attack, as Akor Adams led the line alone for the first time in his Super Eagles career,a decision that ultimately paid off.
The Super Eagles made a bright start, taking the lead in just the 7th minute. Moses Simon picked the ball on the left side, outside of the box, and dribbled past the Iranian defense, before he slot the ball past goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.
Nigeria doubled their advantage early in the second half.
In the 52nd minute, Samuel Chukwueze picked out Akor Adams outside the box,the forward surged forward beat his markers before unleashing a clinical finish.
But, Iran responded in the 68th minute through captain Mehdi Taremi, who pulled one back to reduce the deficit.
Despite the resurgence, the Super Eagles held their own and Taremi’s goal only proved to be a consolation.
Beyond the result, the match highlighted several positives for the Super Eagles.
Emerging talents Emmanuel Fernandez and Chibuike Nwaiwu earned their senior debuts, signaling a deliberate effort to integrate new players into the squad as preparations begin for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
The victory also extends Chelle’s record as Nigeria’s head coach. He has now gone unbeaten in 17 of his 19 matches in charge, with his only two losses coming via penalty shootouts.
Attention now turns to Nigeria’s next fixture on March 31 against Jordan.
