Nigeria national U23 team suffered yet another defeat as they prepare for the forthcoming Rio Olympics football event in August.
The Dream Team VI fell 0-1 to Mexico U23 in the early hours of Sunday – their fourth friendly defeat in a row – following loses to South Korea, Denmark and the Flying Eagles.
Marco Bueno sole strike in the 65th minute was enough for the host to see-off their African visitors.
Liverpool striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, and Tunisia-based, Junior Ajayi led the line for the Nigerians with Saturday Keigo and Ndifreke Effiong forming a new central defence pairing in the absence of the injured Segun Oduduwa.
Goalkeeper, Daniel Akpeyi, was the only over aged player that made the trip but could only settle for a spot on the bench with regular first choice, Daniel Emmanuel, preferred.
The first half was a cagey affair with both very cautious in their approach and it ended goalless at the Estadio Victoria in Aguascalientes.
But the young El Tri side controlled the ball in the early stages of the second half and gained a foothold on the match after 20 minutes.
A quick throw-in was forced into the path of Carlos Cisneros, who picked out his Chivas teammate, Bueno to head home the goal.
Mexico continued to be the livelier side after the goal, and nearly doubled the lead on 86th minute when Angel Zaldivar barely missed by striking the crossbar from an Erick Gutierrez pass.
Nigeria had one final attempt, but Raul Gutierrez’s side held on to earn an important win.
Coach Samson Siasia’s lads will play two other warm-up games before their trip to Brazil to face Japan, Colombia and Sweden in Group B.
They meet Honduras U23 first in the United States of America before clashing with local side, Charleston Battery.
