Even without superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal’s national football team presented itself in World Cup form on Thursday.
Double goalscorer Bruno Fernandes led coach Fernando Santos’ team to a 4-0 (2-0) win against Nigeria in the friendly. A week before Portugal’s first game at the World Cup in Qatar, Ronaldo was absent with an upset stomach.
Fernandes, Ronaldo’s club-mate at Manchester United, scored after just nine minutes for the clearly superior hosts. In the first half he also converted a hand penalty (35th). Goncalo Ramos (82nd) and Joao Mario (84th) followed up later. In the meantime, former Cologne player Emmanuel Dennis missed a penalty kick for Nigeria (81st).
Borussia Dortmund’s Raphael Guerreiro came on as a second-half substitute for the Portuguese. Kevin Akpoguma from TSG Hoffenheim started for Nigeria, who did not qualify for the World Cup.
Ronaldo had recently attracted attention away from the pitch, in the show “Piers Morgan Uncensored” he publicly settled accounts with United. At first he didn’t get the playing time he missed in England with the national team either, his stomach already slowed him down in training on Wednesday.
Portugal will start the World Cup against Ghana next Thursday (November 24). In Group H, Ronaldo and Co. are also challenged by South Korea and Uruguay.