Poland snatch late draw against Nigeria in Warsaw thriller

Poland scored deep into stoppage time to deny Nigeria victory and force a dramatic 2-2 draw in an international friendly at the PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw on Wednesday.

The Super Eagles appeared set for a hard-fought win over the European side until Przemysław Wiśniewski struck with virtually the last kick of the game to rescue a point for the hosts.

Nigeria opened the scoring in the 23rd minute through Terem Moffi, who finished off a well-worked move to give Eric Chelle’s men the advantage.

However, Poland responded just before halftime when Kacper Potulski found the equaliser, ensuring both sides went into the break level.

The first half ended 1-1, prompting Chelle to make several changes at the start of the second period.

Philip Otele replaced Akor Adams, while Semi Ajayi came on for Emmanuel Fernandez in the 46th minute. Bruno Onyemaechi took the place of Zaidu Sanusi, Paul Onuachu replaced Moffi, and Calvin Bassey came in for Igoh Ogbu as Nigeria sought fresh energy.

The substitutions paid off as the Super Eagles regained the lead through Onuachu, who calmly converted a penalty to put Nigeria 2-1 ahead.

With victory seemingly within reach, Nigeria looked set to record another friendly win over the Poles. But the hosts had the final say.

Five minutes into added time, Wiśniewski struck home to make it 2-2 and ensure the spoils were shared in a thrilling encounter.

The result brought back memories of March 2018, when Nigeria defeated Poland 1-0 in a pre-World Cup friendly. On that occasion, former Chelsea winger Victor Moses scored the winning goal from the penalty spot after being fouled inside the box.

Following Wednesday’s draw, the Super Eagles will turn their attention to another high-profile friendly against Portugal on June 10.

Although Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the friendly fixtures are providing Chelle with an opportunity to assess new players, refine his tactics, and build a competitive squad ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.