Cristiano Ronaldo absent as Portugal breeze past Nigeria in World Cup warm-up fixture, Spain, Canada, Ghana also win
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Published 17/11/2022 at 23:27 GMT
Portugal inflicted a heavy defeat on Nigeria in a warm-up game ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, with Cristiano Ronaldo absent through illness. Ronaldo’s Manchester United team-mate Bruno Fernandes, who says he has "no problem" with the striker, struck twice in the 4-0 win. World Cup-bound Spain, Canada and Morocco also won, as Ghana beat Switzerland.
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Cristiano Ronaldo was not missed by Portugal as a Bruno Fernandes brace helped Fernando Santos’ side beat Nigeria 4-0.
Ronaldo, who is currently in the centre of a media storm following his interview with TalkTV, missed the game due to illness, one week before Portugal’s first World Cup group stage match against Ghana.
Fernandes opened the scoring for a fresh Portugal in the ninth minute and doubled the lead from the spot after 35 minutes.
Substitutes Joao Mario and Goncalo Ramos stretched Portugal’s advantage to four in the final ten minutes, as they continued their preparation for next week’s World Cup opener.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Fernandes insisted he hadn’t watched Ronaldo’s interview with Piers Morgan, and that his full focus was on Portugal and the World Cup.
“I didn’t read the interview, so I’m ok with that,” Fernandes said. “As I said before, now is national team, is Portugal.
“I said to him, the coach made a point that it’s ‘us’, so he made that point since I come to the national team in 2017 I think, and that is still clear in his mind.
“The main thing here is national team, and us, so we have to be focused on the World Cup because the World Cup doesn’t come every time, you don’t have a chance to play a World Cup many times - Cristiano is lucky to play five times, this will be his fifth time in the World Cup, so everyone is ready for that and everyone wants to give the best for the team.”
He went on to explain he had “no problem” with his club team-mate after a video emerged of Fernandes seemingly giving Ronaldo the “cold shoulder” when the pair met in the changing room.
“You have to do it [watch the video with the sound],” he said. “In Portugal we have a problem, I was watching one of the channels that was talking about that, was cold, was bad, for 45 minutes.
“All of a sudden, national team send with the sound, the sound says that he is joking with me, so they come back and said, there was a joke and they cut there.
“They said if you want to see again, just go back, but if they go back they will see that there’s a problem, but if they [are] really true and they explain what was in that video, people will know, but now they don’t know.
“As I said, this is national team, Manchester United will be my focus after the World Cup, after the 18 December, because that is the final.
“I have no problem with anyone,” he added.
Jose Sa, Joao Cancelo, Ruben Neves and Rafael Leao were all unused subs, while Diego Dalot, Ruben Dias, Bernando Silva and Joao Felix all starred alongside Fernandes.
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LISBON, PORTUGAL - NOVEMBER 17: Bruno Fernandes of Portugal scores and celebrates a goal during the friendly match between Portugal and Nigeria at Estadio Jose Alvalade on November 17, 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Zed Jameson/MB Media/Getty Images)
Image credit: Eurosport
Six other World Cup-bound sides were in action on Thursday night as they gear up for the tournament which begins on Sunday.
Spain beat Jordan 3-1 thanks to goals from Barcelona duo Ansu Fati and Gavi.
Nico Williams scored six minutes from time to complete the routine win, before a Jordan consolation goal in the 92nd minute.
Luis Enrique’s side get their World Cup campaign underway on Wednesday when they take on Costa Rica in Group E, before meeting Germany four days later.
An all-World Cup clash between Switzerland and Ghana saw the latter come out on top.
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Ghana's defender Tariq Lamptey (L) vies for the ball with Switzerland's defender Denis Zakaria (R) during a friendly football match between Ghana and Switzerland in Abu Dhabi on November 17, 2022. (Photo by Ryan LIM / AFP) (Photo by RYAN LIM/AFP via Getty
Image credit: Eurosport
Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu was on the scoresheet alongside Antoine Semenyo, with Leicester City’s Daniel Amartey, Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey and Crystal Palace’s Jordan Ayew all in action for the African side.
Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka put in 90 minutes for a disappointing Switzerland side, who play their first World Cup match against Cameroon, before facing tournament favourites Brazil.
Ghana, grouped with Portugal, play the European side first.
Japan and Canada also faced off before both teams embark on their World Cup journey, and the Canadians left it late but ran out 2-1 winners thanks to a 95th-minute Lucas Daniel Cavallini penalty.
Morocco enjoyed a 3-0 thumping of Georgia, with Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech on the scoresheet.
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