Nigeria’s Super Eagles continued their evolution under Eric Chelle with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Iran in an international friendly on Friday.
Playing at the Corendon Airlines Park in Antalya, the three-time African champions wasted no time asserting their dominance.
Paris FC winger Moses Simon opened the scoring just six minutes in, expertly finishing a precise through ball from Samuel Chukwueze.
The goal marked a special milestone for Simon, who was earning his 96th senior cap for the national team.
Nigeria controlled the flow of the first half with impressive attacking verve, though they couldn’t quite double their lead before the break.
Coach Chelle looked to his bench at halftime, handing a debut to Emmanuel Fernandez as he replaced Semi Ajayi in defense.
The momentum stayed with Nigeria after the restart, and Akor Adams soon made it 2-0 following a clever pass from Ademola Lookman.
The match also saw a debut for late call-up Chibuike Nwaiwu, who entered the fray for Igoh Ogbu to bolster the midfield.
Iran refused to go quietly, however, as star forward Mehdi Taremi pulled one back midway through the second half to create a tense finish.
Nigeria showed great maturity to weather the late pressure, utilizing fresh legs like Paul Onuachu and Chidera Ejuke to maintain control.
This result marks only Nigeria’s second-ever win against the Asian side, following a narrow 1998 victory and a 2014 World Cup draw.
The Super Eagles now shift their focus to another friendly against Jordan on March 31 as they prepare for the AFCON 2027 qualifiers.
