In the international friendly match, the Super Eagles of Nigeria suffered a 2-0 defeat against Mali’s Les Aigles, with goals from El Bilal Toure and Kamory Doumbia sealing the victory for the opposing team.
It proved to be a challenging night for Nigeria’s interim coach, Finidi George, as his team struggled against Mali’s energetic performance at the Stade de Marrakech.
Under the leadership of Éric Chelle, the Malian team displayed determination from the outset, dominating possession and executing precise passes, which kept the Super Eagles on the defensive throughout the match.
They were soon rewarded for their early tempo after a lapse in concentration by Chidozie Awaziem, paved the way for Atalanta striker, El Bilal Toure to beat Stanley Nwabali from close range, just 18 minutes into the match.
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The Super Eagles began to grow in confidence and gradually dominate possession but struggled to breakdown a resolute Mali defence as the first half ended with Mali maintaining their one-goal lead.
The second half was no different for Nigeria as Mali kept their discipline at the back to further frustrate the Super Eagles
The final nail in the coffin for Nigeria came in the 87th minute when Doumbi found the back of the net
