Eric Chelle's halftime talk lit a fire.
Nigeria came out aggressive.
Portugal? Having concluded that the game was already won, Roberto Martinez took off Goncalo Ramos, introducing Cristiano Ronaldo at the start of the second half to join the cruise.
Little did he know that Nigeria was not yet ready to give up.
FWEEE!
The referee's whistle sounded, the signal to kick start the game and Nigeria played with the fire and aggressiveness of men who had nothing to lose.
Ndidi and Alex Iwobi who came in for Frank Onyeka dominated the midfield battle, managing to steal control from Portugal's power trio. Sam worked his ass off, running tireless to both destroy and orchestrate play.
Osimhen got shots off. Momentum shifted.
And yet, Portugal's defense was not penetrated. Not yet. They held together like a well-knit unit, keeping the suddenly revitalized Nigerian side at bay.
In the 63rd minute, Costa denied Osimhen once again.
