The Super Eagles beat Iran 2-1 in a friendly

Nigeria kicked off their post-AFCON 2025 campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Iran in an international friendly, their first appearance since claiming a bronze medal at the tournament.

Eric Chelle maintained tactical coherence, deploying a familiar 4-2-3-1 formation with virtually unchanged personnel.

However, there was a notable change 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 got off to a bright start, taking the lead in just the 7th minute. Moses Simon collected the ball on the left side, outside the box, and dribbled past the Iranian defense before passing the ball to goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.

Nigeria doubled their lead early in the second half.

In the 52nd minute, Samuel Chukwueze spotted Akor Adams outside the area, the striker advanced and beat his markers before unleashing a clinical finish.

But Iran responded in the 68th minute through captain Mehdi Taremi, who reduced the gap.

Despite the resurgence, the Super Eagles held firm and Taremi’s goal only proved to be a consolation.

Beyond the result, the match highlighted several positive aspects for the Super Águilas.

Emerging talents Emmanuel Fernandez and Chibuike Nwaiwu made their senior debuts, indicating a deliberate effort to integrate new players into the team as preparations for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers begin.

The victory also extends Chelle’s record as Nigeria’s head coach. He has now gone unbeaten in 17 of his 19 games in charge, with his only two defeats coming on penalties.

Attention now turns to Nigeria’s next match on March 31 against Jordan.