May 29, (THEWILL) – Mexico won 2-1 against Nigeria in Arlington on Saturday, to start their preparations for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.
It was Jose Peseiro’s first game as coach of Nigeria’s senior men’s national football team and Feyenoord’s standout striker, Cyriel Dessers, who was playing in his first starting XI role, scored Nigeria’s only goal.
Only two minutes after Dessers equalised for Nigeria in front of a large crowd in Texas, William Troost-Ekong’s own-goal in the 56th minute proved to be the difference between the two teams.
Mexico’s El Tri are gearing up for the tournament in Qatar, with this match the first of three friendlies before the CONCACAF Nations League opener against Suriname in June.
In the 12th minute, Santiago Gimenez scored for a much-changed Mexico team, with Gerardo Martino utilising the second half to integrate Diego Lainez and Edson Alvarez from the bench with an eye on their Group C opponents Poland, Argentina and Saudi Arabia.
The Super Eagles will next face Ecuador in another international friendly match on Friday, June 3 as Peseiro gets to know his team better. The team was lacking regular starters, but gave the coaching crew much to consider.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
