Poland vs. Nigeria: Coach Jan Urban Announces Changes Before Second Friendly

Poland's national football coach Jan Urban has labeled his first year in charge as unsuccessful, stating the team has not met its objectives. Despite this, Urban believes the squad is progressing and has identified defensive play as a key area for improvement, noting the team concedes too many goals.

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My first year in charge I consider unsuccessful because we did not achieve the goal. Nevertheless, I believe the national team is developing. We have moved forward and we know what we need to improve – defensive play, because we concede too many goals.

Ahead of a friendly match against Nigeria, Urban plans to use the game as a final opportunity to assess the team's depth before important Nations League fixtures in the fall. He defended his decision to make numerous changes in the previous match against Ukraine, explaining that friendly games are ideal for experimentation and giving chances to players, citing examples of other national teams and top clubs making similar extensive substitutions.

Urban assured that while player health is a priority, the team's leaders will feature from the start against Nigeria. He acknowledged that many players are returning from holidays and are in varying physical conditions, but stressed that the team's commitment has never been in doubt. He also lamented a missed penalty call in the Ukraine match, which he felt was a clear foul.

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I was surprised that many people expressed surprise. These are friendly matches. When, if not now, to try different things and give chances to players.

The coach expressed positive impressions of younger players from the Ukraine game but reiterated that replacing star striker Robert Lewandowski is an impossible task, as players of his caliber are exceptionally rare. Urban also discussed potential tactical shifts, including a move to a four-man defense, but noted difficulties in finding a suitable left-footed left-back. He recalled past successful formations, like the 4-4-2, when Lewandowski and Arkadiusz Milik were younger and in peak form.

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Many players we pulled out of vacation. They are in different conditions. But you cannot accuse the team of a lack of commitment. We will never underestimate our fans.

Nigeria is expected to play without key attacking stars Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman. During the press conference, former Polish international Emmanuel Olisadebe humorously inquired about his potential inclusion alongside Lewandowski, to which Urban jokingly replied he would play if he scored as many goals as before. The match is scheduled for Wednesday evening.

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If you want, I'll prove to you too that you are on vacation. If this match were taking place in a major tournament, the media would probably have lynched the referee for not awarding a penalty after the foul on Kędziora. I haven't seen a more obvious stamp.