Przemyslaw Wisniewski scored a 95th-minute thunderbolt from outside the box to deny Nigeria victory in Warsaw, then insisted Poland’s 2-2 draw with the Super Eagles was a result the hosts fully deserved after a much improved performance from their previous outing.
Poland came from behind twice to hold Nigeria to a 2-2 draw at the PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw on Wednesday night, and defender Przemyslaw Wisniewski had no doubts about what the result meant. His long-range effort in the fifth minute of stoppage time, which flew past Maduka Okoye into the top corner, rescued a share of the spoils and immediately became the talking point of the night. “I never have a celebration prepared because I don’t usually score goals,” Wisniewski told laczynaspilka.pl. “I was tired in stoppage time, so I just raised my arms in celebration.”
The goal had a dreamlike quality even for the man who scored it. “From the pitch, I noticed the ball was going away, it certainly looked better on TV,” Wisniewski added. “I’ve never scored a goal like that, and I don’t know if I ever will. I’m very happy, because even in training, I don’t score shots like that.” Nigeria had led twice and looked set to end Poland’s unbeaten run at home when Onuachu’s penalty made it 2-1 in the 77th minute. Wisniewski’s stoppage time strike changed all of that. Fans who want to catch the full Portugal friendly next week can check the YOHAIG promo code on Bet9ja before Nigeria head to Leiria on June 10.
How the Game Unfolded
Poland 2-2 Nigeria: Match Summary
- 23′ Terem Moffi opens the scoring (assist: Moses Simon)
- 45+1′ Kacper Potulski equalises (Nicola Zalewski delivery)
- HT: Poland 1-1 Nigeria
- 77′ Paul Onuachu converts penalty (VAR-awarded handball)
- 90+5′ Przemyslaw Wisniewski levels with long-range strike
- FT: Poland 2-2 Nigeria
- Abdullahi Bewene: senior debut
- Yellow cards: Bartosz Slisz (21′), Robert Lewandowski (80′), Raphael Onyedika (80′)
Nigeria had been the better side for large stretches of the contest. Terem Moffi broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, finishing calmly after Moses Simon danced past his marker and delivered a low cross from the edge of the area. Poland levelled on the stroke of half-time when a corner routine ended with Nicola Zalewski firing a wicked shot that Kacper Potulski deflected into the net. Eric Chelle brought on seven players at the break, including Paul Onuachu, Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi, Raphael Onyedika, Zaidu Sanusi, Philip Otele, and Rafiu Durosinmi, and the changes paid off when VAR awarded Nigeria a penalty for handball in the box. Onuachu stepped up and converted coolly to restore the lead on 77 minutes.
What followed was 13 minutes of Poland pressing without reward, with Maduka Okoye denying the hosts several times and Nigerian finishing proving wasteful at the other end. Then, deep in stoppage time, Wisniewski picked up the ball outside the box and launched a shot that flew past Okoye before the goalkeeper could react. It was the kind of goal that exists outside tactics and preparation. For Nigeria, it was the latest reminder that a lead is never safe until the referee blows. New Bet9ja users wanting to stake on the Portugal fixture can take advantage of the Bet9ja welcome bonus code before kick-off in Leiria next Wednesday.
Wisniewski Credits the Defensive Improvement
Beyond the drama of his own goal, Wisniewski was measured and analytical in his assessment of the team’s overall performance. He drew a clear contrast with Poland’s previous outing, a 2-0 defeat to Ukraine, pointing to the pre-match preparation as the reason for the improvement.
That reading is broadly accurate. Poland were sharper in their pressing, better organised at the back, and created several clear chances that Okoye denied. Jan Urban’s side gave a significantly improved account of themselves compared to the Ukraine loss. From a Nigerian perspective, the draw ends an unbeaten run under Chelle that had reached 19 games, and it raises questions about finishing and game management that Chelle will want to address before the Portugal game. For those who enjoyed the Warsaw game and want to keep following Nigeria across the summer, the Bet9ja sports registration page is worth visiting ahead of the Leiria kick-off.
Debut for Bewene, Portugal Up Next
Wednesday’s game also delivered a piece of personal history for Abdullahi Bewene, the FC Banik Ostrava defender who made his senior Super Eagles debut after his late call-up earlier in the week. He started at right back as part of Chelle’s first-half lineup alongside Igoh Ogbu, Emmanuel Fernandez, and Bruno Onyemaechi. The debut was low key in the context of the final result, but it is the kind of night a player carries with him regardless of how the scoreline reads at the final whistle.
Nigeria now travel to Leiria to face Portugal at the Estadio Dr Magalhaes Pessoa on Wednesday, June 10. It is a stiffer test on paper, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal a different proposition to a Poland side still rebuilding after missing the World Cup. The lessons from Warsaw, principally the need to see out a lead when the game is there to be won, are exactly the kind of things Chelle will be working on in training before that game kicks off.
📌 Did You Know?
- Przemyslaw Wisniewski plays his club football for Sporting CP in Portugal, making his long range equaliser at the PGE Narodowy all the more fitting given that Nigeria face Portugal in Leiria the following Wednesday. He will have insider knowledge of the Portuguese football environment that few of his international teammates can match.
- Paul Onuachu, who scored Nigeria’s second goal from the penalty spot in the 77th minute, is the tallest outfield player in the current Super Eagles squad at approximately 2.01 metres. His aerial presence and physicality have made him a consistent threat as a substitute, with his ability to hold the ball up and win headers giving Nigeria an entirely different dimension when he comes off the bench.
- Kacper Potulski, who equalised for Poland just before half time, plays for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. He came through the German club’s youth system before establishing himself in the first team setup, making him one of the most technically accomplished young midfielders in Poland’s current squad.
- Maduka Okoye started in goal for Nigeria over Arthur Okonkwo, despite Okonkwo’s two clean sheets at the Unity Cup earlier in the month. The decision confirmed that Okoye remains Chelle’s first choice in senior competitive fixtures, with the Unity Cup performances serving as additional evidence of depth rather than a change in the pecking order.
- Nicola Zalewski, who created Poland’s first goal with his delivery from the left, is of Italian and Polish heritage and plays his club football for Roma in Serie A. He has been one of the more technically gifted wide players in Poland’s setup for several seasons and was central to their efforts to break Nigeria down throughout the first half in Warsaw.
- Philip Otele, who came on at half-time as one of Chelle’s seven second-half substitutions, was making his Super Eagles debut. The Hamburger SV winger had joined the camp late after travelling from Germany, and his introduction from the bench in Warsaw represented his first senior international minutes after earlier featuring in the Unity Cup on a different squad list.
- The 2-2 draw in Warsaw ended Nigeria’s 19 game unbeaten run under Eric Chelle, which had produced 37 goals and 14 conceded across that stretch. The run covered World Cup qualifiers, AFCON games, and friendlies played between early 2025 and May 2026. Chelle’s first defeat or draw as Nigeria coach broke one of the longest unbeaten sequences in Super Eagles history under a single manager.
