Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has said Guinea-Bissau should expect conditions similar to those Nigeria experienced in Bissau when the two sides meet again in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Chelle made the comments after Nigeria suffered a 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau at the Estádio 24 de Setembro on Tuesday, with the coach pointing to the poor playing surface and intense heat as factors that made the match difficult for his players.
Despite the heavy loss, Chelle said Nigeria still have an opportunity to recover when the qualifying campaign resumes.
Chelle promises a different experience in Uyo
Speaking after the defeat, Chelle said Guinea-Bissau had an advantage from being familiar with their home pitch, while Nigeria struggled to adapt to the conditions.
He said the Super Eagles would have their own home advantage when the reverse fixture is played in Nigeria.
Chelle added that Nigeria must first focus on their two upcoming matches against Tanzania before welcoming Guinea-Bissau to Uyo.
His comments came after the coach had acknowledged that Guinea-Bissau were the better side on the night and apologised to Nigerian supporters following the defeat.
Nigeria suffer first qualifying defeat
The 3-0 result was Nigeria’s first defeat of the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.
Franculino Djú opened the scoring for Guinea-Bissau before captain Mama Baldé doubled the hosts’ advantage after the break. Alhassane Djalo then added a third goal late in the match to complete the victory.
The result followed Nigeria’s 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in Uyo in their opening Group L fixture.
Guinea-Bissau, meanwhile, had already defeated Tanzania 2-0 in their first match and followed that result with another victory over Nigeria.
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Pressure increases on the Super Eagles
The defeat leaves Guinea-Bissau on six points from two matches, while Nigeria have three points.
The qualification situation is particularly significant because Tanzania are one of the three co-hosts of the 2027 AFCON and are therefore already guaranteed a place at the tournament.
CAF’s qualification format means only the highest-ranked team other than Tanzania in Group L will secure the remaining qualification place.
That leaves Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar competing for a single qualifying spot.
Chelle remains confident
Despite the setback, Chelle said he remained confident in his squad and insisted the defeat did not mark the end of Nigeria’s campaign.
The Super Eagles are scheduled to face Tanzania twice in the next qualifying window in November before the final two group matches are played in March 2027.
Chelle will therefore have the opportunity to correct some of the problems exposed in Bissau before Nigeria face Guinea-Bissau again in Uyo.
For now, the coach’s comments have added another layer to what is already becoming a closely contested Group L race, with Nigeria needing a strong response in their remaining fixtures to keep their AFCON qualification hopes on track.