'They're a similar team to Congo' - Portugal forward expects difficult match against Super Eagles

Portugal forward Francisco Trincão has described Nigeria as a difficult opponent and expects a challenging encounter when both nations meet in an international friendly on Wednesday.

The Super Eagles head into the encounter in good form, having recorded victories over Zimbabwe and Jamaica, while also earning a draw against Poland in their last three friendly matches.

Despite Nigeria's strong recent performances, Trincão insisted that Portugal's primary objective remains executing their game plan and gaining momentum ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

Speaking during the press conference on Tuesday, Trincão compared the Super Eagles to Congo, whom Portugal will be facing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, highlighting the physical attributes of both African teams.

"We need to take advantage of the game,” Trincão said via Record. “They are two similar teams. They are both physical.”

“We have to focus on what we have been training. Look at what we can do and take some nuances from what they have in common."

Addressing Portugal's approach to the match, the former Barcelona forward reiterated that the team would concentrate more on its own performance rather than adapting specifically to Nigeria.

"We'll try to do our best. They're a similar team to Congo. We'll play the way we've trained. We'll try to focus on ourselves rather than Nigeria. It will be difficult. We'll try to play a good game and arrive at the World Cup with confidence,” he added.

While Portugal aim to put the finishing touches to their preparations for the World Cup, the Super Eagles will be eager to secure a positive result and continue their rebuilding process ahead of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.