SUPER Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has admitted that Guinea-Bissau were the better side as Nigeria suffered a 3-0 defeat in their second Group L match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Bissau on Tuesday.
News Point Nigeria Sport reports that the defeat was Chelle’s first since taking charge of the Nigerian national team, as the Super Eagles struggled for long periods and were unable to respond after the hosts took an early lead.
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Franculino Djú opened the scoring for Guinea-Bissau in the 15th minute, curling the ball into the far corner beyond Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali after working his way through the Nigerian defence.
Nigeria struggled to create a meaningful response before the interval, with Guinea-Bissau maintaining their advantage into the break.
Chelle reacted at half-time with a double substitution, bringing on Moses Usor and Moses Simon for Frank Onyeka and Taiwo Awoniyi respectively as the Super Eagles looked to get back into the contest.
The changes, however, failed to alter the pattern of the game, with Guinea-Bissau continuing to cause problems for the Nigerian defence.
The hosts doubled their advantage in the 66th minute when Mama Baldé finished off another penetrating run that exposed the Super Eagles’ defence.
Nigeria later had an opportunity to reduce the deficit, but Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper Djoco Embadje produced a close-range save in the 87th minute to deny George Ilenikhena.
Álvaro Djaló then completed Guinea-Bissau’s emphatic victory by scoring a third goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Reflecting on the defeat after the match, Chelle admitted that Guinea-Bissau had been the superior side.
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“They were more aggressive than us and I think they were better than us,” the Malian coach said.
Chelle also pointed to the difficult playing conditions at the Estádio 24 de Setembro, saying the pitch and intense heat made the encounter more difficult for his players.
“They know their pitch but for us it was different and very bad. The weather was very hot too, but they had more intensity and we never found the solution,” he added.
Despite the heavy defeat, Chelle said he remained confident that Nigeria could recover in their next two qualifying matches against Tanzania.
“We have two games next against Tanzania and I’m very confident about my team, but today was not good. It’s the first time that I have seen my team like that. We have to go forward,” he said.
The result leaves Guinea-Bissau top of Group L with six points from two matches, having earlier defeated Tanzania 2-0.
Nigeria, meanwhile, remain on three points from their opening two matches after their 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in their first qualifier.
The defeat means the Super Eagles will need to recover quickly as the qualifying campaign continues, with Tanzania already guaranteed a place at the 2027 AFCON as one of the co-hosts.
Nigeria will therefore need to finish as the highest-ranked non-host nation in Group L to secure qualification for the tournament.
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The Super Eagles will have an opportunity to revive their campaign during the next qualifying window scheduled for November 9 to 17, before the final two matches of the qualifying series are played in March 2027.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, with 24 teams expected to feature in the tournament.
