“A Very Good Team” Iran Coach Ghalenoei Praises Super Eagles

By Irikefe Oghenetega Victor 

Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei described Nigeria as “a very good team” after his side suffered a 2-1 defeat to the Super Eagles in an international friendly in Antalya, Turkey on Friday, March 27, 2026.

Ghalenoei’s compliment came despite the loss, as Moses Simon opened the scoring on his 96th cap for Nigeria and Jerome Akor Adams added the second goal. The Super Eagles showed strong attacking intent from the outset, pressing high and using quick transitions and wing play to dominate the early stages of the match at Corendon Airlines Park.

The Iranian tactics was measured in his assessment after the game, acknowledging Nigeria’s quality while reflecting on his team’s performance under challenging circumstances. This comes after previous high-profile defeats where Ghalenoei had been more self-critical, once describing a 2024 Asian Cup loss as “the worst day of my life.”

It was Nigeria’s second victory over Iran, following a 1-0 win in the 1998 Carlsberg Cup in Hong Kong. Their most recent encounter before Friday ended in a 1-1 draw in 2014.

The morale boosting win provides the Super Eagles with positive momentum under coach Éric Chelle as they prepare to face Jordan in their next friendly on Tuesday. The match was played largely behind closed doors, giving both teams valuable minutes during the March international window.