Mali Defeat Nigeria In a Friendly Match, First Win Over Super Eagles After 49 Years

The Eagles of Mali secured a 2-0 victory over the Super Eagles of Nigeria in an international friendly match held in Marrakech, Morocco on Tuesday evening.

The event saw Nigeria, under the leadership of George Finidi, fell behind in the first half and struggled to find an equalizer, ultimately conceding another goal late in the game.

It is worth noting that the last time Mali defeated the Super Eagles was on 5th September 1975, in a friendly that ended 4-1.

Prior to this match, Nigeria had been unbeaten in eight consecutive games against Mali, with five wins and three draws.

Interim coach Finidi George made changes to the starting lineup, with Jamilu Collins, Raphael Onyedika, and Kenneth Omeruo taking the place of Bruno Onyemaechi, Frank Onyeka, and

Benjamin Tanimu, who played in the 2-1 victory against Ghana.

This defeat marked Finidi’s first loss since taking over from Jose Peseiro. Finidi had previously secured a win in his first game in charge against the Black Stars of Ghana.

Nigeria’s next challenge will be the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Africa in June.