By Daily Sports Nigeria on May 28, 2022
The Super Eagles of Nigeria and El Tri of Mexico will meet in an international friendly match today (Saturday) inside the AT and T Stadium, Dallas, USA.
It is the first of two friendly games lined up for the Eagles who will also face Ecuador on June 2.
And ahead of today’s game, Completesports.com’s JAMES AGBEREBI looks at how both teams have fared in their five previous encounters.
The first ever meeting between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the El Tri of Mexico was in the third-placed match of the 1995 Intercontinental Championship (now known as the FIFA Confederations Cup) in Saudi Arabia.
After 90 minutes of football ended 1-1, the game went into penalties with the Mexicans triumphing 5-4.
Mexico took the lead through Ramon Ramirez in the 20th minute before Daniel Amokachi equalized for the Eagles on 31 minutes.
The likes of Peter Rufai, Okechukwu Uche, Austin Eguavoen, Austin Okocha, Samson Siasia, the late Uche Okafor and Mutiu Adepoju featured for the Eagles.
Under German coach Berti Vogts, the Eagles travelled to Mexico to face El Tri in an international friendly game which ended 2-2.
Obafemi Martins scored on 32nd and 52nd minutes to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead before Mexico staged a fight back.
They pulled a goal back in the 55th minute through Juan Carlos Cacho, who then converted from the penalty spot in the 68th minute to make it 2-2.
Late in the game the Eagles had a golden opportunity to go 3-2 up but Ikechukwu Uche blasted his penalty kick over the bar.
Both countries met in another friendly in Houston, United States in 2013 and once again settled for a 2-2 draw.
Former Manchester United striker Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez opened the scoring in the 21st minute for Mexico.
But just six minutes later the Mexicans were reduced to 10 men, after Pablo Barrera was sent off for stopping a goal bound strike with his hand.
The Eagles were awarded a penalty with Brown Ideye converting the spot kick to make it 1-1 on 29 minutes.
With five minutes left, an own goal by Gerardo Torrado saw the Eagles go 2-1 ahead.
But with 20 minutes left to play, Hernandez got on the score sheet again to earn Mexico a 2-2 draw.
Just few months to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the two countries met again in a friendly and this time settled for a goalless draw.
On parade for the Eagles were Vincent Enyeama, John Obi Mikel, Ogenyi Onazi, Victor Moses and Kenneth Omeruo.
Others were Ahmed Musa, Emmanuel Emenike, Efe Ambrose, Elderson Echijiele, Leon Balogun and Godfrey Oboanona.
For the fourth consecutive time the Eagles and Mexico clashed in a friendly game, this time in Houston, USA in 2021.
The Eagles paraded a largely home-based team and were hammered 4-0 by the Mexicans.
Hector Herrera (2nd, 52nd minutes), Rogelio Funes Mori (4th minute) and Jonathan Dos Santos were the scorers for Mexico.
Source Complete Sports Nigeria
Posted May 28, 2022
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