Poland national team head coach Jan Urban has spoken out after his team's recurring defensive problems surfaced again during a 2-2 draw against the Super Eagles of Nigeria. The friendly match took place on June 3, 2026, at the 58,000-capacity PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw, Poland.
Match Summary
Terem Moffi opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 23rd minute, but debutant Kacper Potulski equalized just before halftime. In the 77th minute, Nigeria was awarded a penalty, which Paul Onuachu calmly converted. However, deep into stoppage time, Przemysław Wiśniewski scored to level the match once again. Both teams played attacking football, creating numerous chances but failing to secure a victory.
Urban's Reaction
Jan Urban acknowledged that his team played well against a strong opponent but expressed concern over the number of chances conceded. "I wasn't too concerned about the goal. We played well before and after the goal. In my opinion, it was a really good match against a very good team," he said, as quoted by Sportowefakty. "However, the goal could have been easily prevented – until then, only Kamil's clearance had created a dangerous situation. It's not about names, but I know who should have acted how."
Urban admitted that the defensive issues have persisted for a long time and need to be addressed. "We've had this problem for a long time. The worst part is that the opponent creates countless chances against us and only takes 2-3 of them," he added. "They don't create that many, but – until today – they've been very cruel. On the other hand, I'll emphasize again: these are friendly matches. We won't be judged on these matches."
Penalty Controversy
Poland had a penalty shout early in the first half, just before Nigeria took the lead, but the referee and VAR waved play on, which angered Urban. "I was incredibly angry. From a distance, you could see that my opponent didn't have time to touch the ball. It was a complete disaster," he said.
Upcoming Matches
As noted by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Nigeria will continue their international break with a final match against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal on June 10. Both Poland and Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and will now go on break after the international window.
Previous Comments by Akor Adams
Before the match, Akor Adams expressed confidence in Nigeria's ability to take on Poland despite limited preparation. The Sevilla forward reiterated manager Eric Chelle's comments about building a winning mentality regardless of the players available.
