Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has urged Nigerians to remain calm despite the team’s heavy 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their second Group L match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, insisting that there is still enough time for Nigeria to recover.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-IDRI-Masterclass.png")
Nigeria were beaten at the Estádio 24 de Setembro in Bissau on Tuesday, with goals from Franculino Djú, Mama Baldé and Álvaro Djaló handing Guinea-Bissau their second consecutive victory of the qualifying series.
Franculino opened the scoring in the 15th minute after finding space around the Nigerian defence before beating goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
The Super Eagles struggled to respond effectively before the interval, despite enjoying spells of possession and creating some openings.
Guinea-Bissau doubled their advantage in the second half when Baldé struck in the 66th minute, before Djaló completed the victory with the third goal five minutes into stoppage time.
The defeat came only days after Nigeria opened their qualifying campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in Uyo, leaving Chelle’s men with three points from their opening two matches.
Guinea-Bissau, who had earlier defeated Tanzania 2-0 away from home, moved to six points after winning their first two matches.
Speaking after the game, Chelle acknowledged that his side had been second best, particularly in terms of aggression and intensity.
“They were more aggressive than us,” the Super Eagles coach said.
“When you try to play, score and impose yourself, you need that aggression in your mentality to make the difference. I think they were better than us in terms of personality.”
Chelle admitted that the performance was far below what he had come to expect from his players, saying Guinea-Bissau appeared more determined and better organised.
He also pointed to the difficult playing surface and hot weather conditions in Bissau, although he stressed that those factors should not be used as excuses for the result.
“They were more aggressive than us, they were better than us,” Chelle said.
He added that Guinea-Bissau were familiar with the pitch and conditions, whereas his players struggled to adapt, but accepted responsibility for the defeat.
The coach said Nigeria attempted to change the course of the match after the interval but failed to sustain the pressure.
“We tried to go forward after halftime, to bring something new but after 10 minutes we stopped and I don’t know why,” he said.
Chelle nevertheless insisted that one poor result should not be allowed to define Nigeria’s qualifying campaign.
“This is not the end,” he said, pointing to the four remaining matches and the opportunity for the Super Eagles to recover.
“The situation is not very good but I am very confident about my team. We have four more games and anything can happen, so we have to stay focused, calm. We know our strengths and weaknesses and today was a bad day for us, but I am still confident about my team and my players.”
Chelle also apologised to Nigerian supporters over the performance.
“I apologise to the fans. Guinea-Bissau were the better side. The pitch is also bad, but we accept responsibility,” he said.
Nigeria’s task became increasingly difficult after Baldé doubled Guinea-Bissau’s lead midway through the second half.
Chelle introduced several players in an attempt to change the game, including Moses Simon, Moses Usor, George Ilenikhena and Raphael Onyedika, but the Super Eagles could not find a breakthrough.
Ilenikhena came close to reducing the deficit late in the game, but Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper Fernando Embadjé denied him before Djaló struck at the other end in added time to complete the 3-0 scoreline.
Contrary to one early account of the match, available match records show that Guinea-Bissau’s Alfa Semedo received a yellow card in the 88th minute rather than a red card, meaning the hosts finished the encounter with 11 players.
Chelle is now looking towards Nigeria’s remaining qualifiers, including the return fixture against Guinea-Bissau on home soil.
He said the Super Eagles must respond positively and make full use of their remaining opportunities.
“We have two games against Tanzania in November and we have to win both games,” Chelle said, before referring to the return meeting with Guinea-Bissau in Uyo.
Meanwhile, former African Footballer of the Year Victor Ikpeba criticised Nigeria’s performance, describing the defending as poor and saying the players failed to match the physical commitment required in an away African qualifier.
Ikpeba said the Super Eagles “didn’t fight” sufficiently and blamed poor closing down for the goals conceded.
“Defensively we were poor everywhere in this game, 90 minutes. We didn’t defend well,” Ikpeba said.
“The first goal, they didn’t close up on the striker. The second… we lack closing up on players. So we’re punished.”
According to the former Nigeria international, matches away from home in African football require greater intensity and determination.
“In African football you have to fight, especially when you go away from home,” he said, expressing hope that the players would produce a strong response in their forthcoming fixtures.
Ikpeba also questioned what he described as an over-reliance on foreign-born players and called for a reassessment of the national team’s selection strategy.
“This over-reliance of these our foreign-born players… we need to have a rethink. There’s something wrong about bringing all those boys all the way from abroad,” he said.
The result was Nigeria’s first defeat of the current AFCON qualifying campaign and Chelle’s first competitive regulation-time loss since taking charge of the Super Eagles.
With four qualifying matches still to play, Chelle maintained that the immediate priority must be to prevent the Bissau defeat from developing into a wider setback.
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation
______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence
Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via:
0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888
Website: www.alexandernigeria.com
