Nigeria vs Portugal: Why AC Milan star is banned from Super Eagles’ clash with Selecao

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Nigeria will take on Portugal without one of the European giants’ most dangerous attacking players after AC Milan winger Rafael Leao was suspended from the international friendly between both nations, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Super Eagles and the Selecao are set to meet on June 10 at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria in what will be the final warm-up fixture for Roberto Martinez’s side before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

However, Leao will play no part in the encounter after receiving a straight red card during Portugal’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Chile at the Estádio Nacional do Jamor on Saturday night.

The incident happened deep into first-half stoppage time with the score still goalless. Tensions flared near the corner flag following a challenge involving Portugal full-back Joao Cancelo and Chile defender Felipe Faúndez.

What began as a brief disagreement quickly escalated when Leao and Chile centre-back Ivan Roman became involved. The pair exchanged pushes and grabbed each other during the confrontation as players from both teams rushed to the scene.

The situation worsened when Leao struck Roman in the face during the melee. Italian referee Luca Zufferli immediately reviewed the incident and showed straight red cards to both players for violent conduct.

Even Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo attempted to plead Leao’s case, but the decision stood and the AC Milan forward was sent off before halftime.

Nigeria: Portugal still dangerous despite Leao absence

Although Leao’s suspension means he cannot feature against Nigeria, Portugal remain one of the strongest attacking teams in international football.

Martinez’s side showed their depth against Chile by winning the match despite playing the entire second half with ten men. Goncalo Guedes opened the scoring in the 57th minute before Bruno Fernandes doubled Portugal’s advantage in the 74th minute. Lucas Cepeda grabbed a late consolation goal for Chile in stoppage time.

Portugal controlled much of the contest, enjoying 58 percent possession and registering eight shots on target.

Leao’s absence is unlikely to force a major tactical rethink from Martinez, who can call on several high-quality replacements including Diogo Jota, Joao Felix and Pedro Neto.

Meanwhile, Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle welcomes back Alex Iwobi from suspension, while AC Milan winger Samuel Chukwueze has joined the squad in Portugal ahead of the match.

The Super Eagles, however, have their own selection concerns. Forward Rafiu Durosinmi left camp due to personal commitments, while defender Igoh Ogbu has been ruled out after suffering an injury during training.

As a result, any advantage Nigeria might have gained from Leao’s suspension has been balanced by the absence of two players Chelle had hoped to assess against elite opposition.

Nevertheless, the fixture remains one of Nigeria’s biggest tests of the year as the Super Eagles look to continue building under Chelle against a Portugal side packed with world-class talent despite the loss of one of their biggest stars.