Super Eagles captain for the national team's most recent international match, Anayo Iwuala has spoken of his happiness at being given the opportunity to face Mexico but rued the loss to the CONCACAF powerhouse.

Mexico ran riot at the United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in California, registering an emphatic 4-0 win over their inexperienced opponents thanks to goals from Hector Herrera (2), Rogelio Funes Mori and Jonathan Dos Santos.

With more than 53,000 spectators in the stands, it was the largest crowd to attend a sporting event in Southern California since the start of the global pandemic.

The Tricolour boss Gerardo Martino handed starts to Herrera (Atlético Madrid) and Hirving Lozano (Napoli).

Asked at the post-match press conference to share his thoughts on playing in front of a large crowd and facing Mexico's Italian Serie A and La Liga stars, Iwuala told reporters : "It was a great experience for us, a very big experience for the local players, we want to show our quality.

"I can tell you me and the boys were very happy to have this great opportunity but unluckily for us it ended this way.

"Definitely the hope is to take it further to Europe, to get more opportunity and to get more exposed, to work ahead for a greater task".

Enyimba winger Iwuala is the only player to have featured in the last five matches played by the Super Eagles and the clash against Mexico was his starting debut having come off the bench in previous matches with Republic of Benin, Lesotho and Cameroon twice.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel