Nigeria suffered a 2-1 defeat to Portugal in an entertaining international friendly in Leiria on Wednesday night, with Francisco Conceição's second-half strike ending the visitors' impressive unbeaten run.

Nigeria entered the match on the back of 12 consecutive games without defeat in regulation time under head coach Eric Chelle, but the World Cup-bound Portuguese side proved just enough to halt that momentum.

Portugal started strongly and took the lead in the 23rd minute through Pedro Neto. The winger finished off a well-worked move involving Diogo Dalot, calmly placing his effort beyond goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.

The hosts dominated possession during the opening stages and created several opportunities, with Cristiano Ronaldo and João Félix both threatening. However, Okoye produced a series of important saves to keep Nigeria within touching distance.

The Super Eagles gradually settled into the contest and began to enjoy more possession through the midfield pairing of Wilfred Ndidi and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

Their improvement was rewarded in the 37th minute when Dele-Bashiru slipped a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Akor Adams. The striker kept his composure and drilled a low finish into the net to draw Nigeria level.

The match also marked a historic milestone for Alex Iwobi, who made his 100th appearance for the Super Eagles, joining an elite group of Nigerian centurions that includes Vincent Enyeama, Joseph Yobo and Ahmed Musa.

Both managers made several changes after the break as the intensity remained high. Nigeria introduced Paul Onuachu, Frank Onyeka, Terem Moffi and Zaidu Sanusi in a bid to gain greater control and attacking impetus.

Christian Akpan, who received a late call-up to the squad, also made his senior international debut before being replaced by Abdullahi Bewene shortly after the hour mark.

Despite Nigeria's improved defensive organisation in the second half, Portugal regained the lead in the 75th minute through an individual moment of brilliance from Francisco Conceição. The winger embarked on a dazzling run, weaving through defenders before firing a low shot into the corner.

The Super Eagles pushed forward in search of a late equaliser but were unable to break down the Portuguese defence as the hosts held on for victory.

While Portugal continue their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Nigeria will now shift focus to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign scheduled to begin in September.