Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has admitted that the Eagles will face a tough test against Saudi Arabia when both sides clash in an international friendly at the Estádio Municipal de Portimao, Portugal on Friday (today).
The three-time African champions also play Mozambique at the same venue on Monday.
The Eagles and the Asians have met just once, another friendly that ended in a 0-0 stalemate in 2010 in Austria.
Interestingly, Peseiro was in the opposite dugout as coach of Saudi Arabia in that encounter but he says they have a better squad now under new Italian manager Roberto Mancini.
Speaking exclusively to PUNCH Sports Extra, Eagles coach Peserio said the game against the Green Falcons would be a good test for his side as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers next month.
The Eagles begin their World Cup qualifying matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe in November.
“It will be a good preparatory game against a good team, which will be very useful for my team’s qualification for the World Cup,” Peserio said.
“The Saudi Arabian team has players with technical quality, who like to play an associative game and are now stronger than when I coached them.
“Saudi Arabia was the last team to defeat Argentina, so it will certainly be a tough game, which we will use to improve our organization.”