Goal by Óscar Duarte: this is how he scored the 1-0 for Costa Rica against Nigeria in a friendly match.

Costa Rica faces Nigeria as preparation for their participation in the 2022 World Cup. Despite being a friendly match, the Costa Rican team started with a lot of pressure and scored the 1-0 in the first minutes of the match, which means the farewell of the team directed by Luis Fernando Suárez to their fans before heading to Qatar.

At 7', the referee awarded a free kick in favor of the local team. Then, Joel Campbell stood in front of the ball and crossed it into the area. In that place, defender Óscar Duarte disguised himself as a forward and headed the ball to defeat the resistance of the African goalkeeper.

The goal unleashed the joy among the Costa Rican fans who gathered at the National Stadium of Costa Rica. After that match, the Central American team will face Iraq on Thursday and then focus on Qatar.

Costa Rica vs. Nigeria: match preview

The 'Ticos', the last ones to qualify for the World Cup, bid farewell to all their fans before embarking on the adventure in the most important tournament of national teams. The team led by Luis Fernando Suárez, who defeated New Zealand in the playoffs, will face Spain, Japan, and Germany in the tournament.

Costa Rica presents itself at home with four absences: goalkeepers Keylor Navas and Patrick Sequeira, defender Francisco Calvo, and midfielder Jewison Bennette. They will join the team in Kuwait, where they will play another friendly match next week against Iraq. "The match is a party," said the Colombian coach on the eve.

On the other hand, Nigeria will not be present in Qatar 2022. In that sense, coach Salisu Yusuf considered several Under-23 players as preparation for what is to come. The 'Super Eagles' will seek to secure their place in the next edition of the African Cup, whose qualifiers will resume in the first quarter of 2023.