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Nigeria were denied victory in dramatic fashion on Wednesday after Poland scored deep into stoppage time to earn a 2-2 draw in an international friendly at the Stadion PGE Narodowy in Warsaw. The Super Eagles appeared set for a morale-boosting win after substitute Paul Onuachu’s second-half penalty had given them the lead, but Przemysław Wiśniewski struck with virtually the last kick of the game to rescue a draw for the hosts.
The match was played between two nations still recovering from the disappointment of missing out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nigeria started brightly and gradually took control of possession after an evenly contested opening period. Their efforts were rewarded in the 23rd minute when Terem Moffi broke the deadlock, finishing calmly to give the visitors a deserved lead. Poland struggled to create clear opportunities for much of the first half, but they found an equaliser in stoppage time through Kacper Potulski, who finished from close range to send both teams into the break level at 1-1. Nigeria made a flurry of substitutions at halftime as coach Eric Chelle rotated his squad and tested several options ahead of future international assignments. The changes injected fresh energy into the Super Eagles, who dominated large spells of the second half. Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Raphael Onyedika, Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi were among those introduced as Nigeria pushed for a winner.
Their pressure finally paid off in the 76th minute when VAR spotted a handball inside the Polish penalty area. Onuachu stepped up and calmly converted from the spot a minute later to restore Nigeria’s advantage. Paul Onuachu (Credit: Super Eagles Media)
The Super Eagles looked on course to secure their second-ever victory over Poland, having won the previous meeting between both countries 1-0 in Wroclaw in March 2018 thanks to a Victor Moses penalty. READ ALSO: Osimhen responds after Chelle’s comments on absence from Super Eagles
However, Poland mounted a late push and were rewarded in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Defender Wiśniewski produced a stunning finish to make it 2-2 and deny Nigeria victory. Despite the disappointment of conceding so late, the draw provided encouraging signs for Nigeria, who showed attacking intent and depth in a competitive contest against one of Europe’s established football nations. Tunde Eludini
Tunde Eludini is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he studied International Relations. He is a Senior Correspondent coordinating the sports section for PREMIUM TIMES. Twitter: @tundeyeludini