Writers 
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has expressed his disappointment after Nigeria suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying clash on Tuesday.
The defeat came as a major setback for Nigeria, who had started their qualifying campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in Uyo. The Super Eagles travelled to Bissau hoping to make it two wins from two matches but were instead comfortably beaten by the hosts.
Guinea-Bissau took control of the game early when Franculino Djú opened the scoring in the first half. Nigeria struggled to create clear opportunities despite having significant possession, while the home side remained dangerous whenever they attacked.
The hosts doubled their advantage in the second half through captain Mama Baldé, further exposing Nigeria’s defensive problems. Álvaro Djaló then completed the scoring in stoppage time as Guinea-Bissau secured a convincing victory.
Speaking after the match, Chelle admitted that the Super Eagles were second best during the contest. The coach pointed to a lack of aggression and intensity as major reasons behind Nigeria’s poor performance.
“They were more aggressive than us, they were better than us,” Chelle said after the match.
The Nigerian coach also expressed his frustration with the conditions in Bissau, particularly the pitch and the weather. Chelle explained that Guinea-Bissau were accustomed to playing on the surface, while it was a new experience for his players.
“This is not an apology, but if you see the conditions—they know their pitch. They usually play on this pitch, but for us, it was the first time, and the pitch was very, very bad. The weather was very bad, too,” he said.
Despite the disappointing result, Chelle insisted that the qualification campaign is far from over. He said Nigeria would have opportunities to recover points in the remaining fixtures, including when Guinea-Bissau travel to Nigeria for the reverse fixture.
Chelle also suggested that Nigeria would ensure Guinea-Bissau experience similar conditions when they visit the country. “After that, Guinea-Bissau will come down to Uyo, and we have to put them in the same conditions that we had here,” the coach said.
The defeat leaves Nigeria with three points from two Group L matches, while Guinea-Bissau moved to six points after winning their opening two games. Guinea-Bissau had previously defeated Tanzania 2-0 away from home.
Nigeria will now have to regroup before their next qualifying fixtures. Chelle and his players will need to address the lack of attacking sharpness and defensive concentration that contributed to the disappointing result.
The Super Eagles began the campaign with a victory over Madagascar after debutants George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor scored to overturn an early deficit. However, the performance against Guinea-Bissau showed that Nigeria still have significant work to do if they are to maintain control of their qualification campaign.
For Chelle, the immediate challenge will be to restore confidence within the squad and ensure that the heavy defeat in Bissau does not affect Nigeria’s remaining qualification matches. With more games still to be played, the Super Eagles will have the opportunity to respond on the pitch and put the setback behind them.
