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Eric Chelle Admits Guinea-Bissau Deserved Victory Over Super Eagles
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has taken responsibility for Nigeria’s disappointing 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their latest 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture.
Nigeria struggled to find their rhythm in Bissau, with Franculino Djú putting the hosts ahead in the 15th minute. Mama Baldé then extended Guinea-Bissau’s lead shortly after the hour mark before Álvaro Djaló added a third goal deep into stoppage time.
Speaking after the game, Chelle acknowledged that Guinea-Bissau brought a level of aggression and intensity that Nigeria failed to match.
The coach also mentioned the challenging conditions, including the state of the pitch and the heat, but was careful not to use them to explain away the result.
Chelle revealed that he attempted to change things at the break, asking his players to attack more through the wings. However, the adjustment only lasted for a short period before Nigeria returned to their earlier approach.
The result leaves the Super Eagles on three points from their first two Group L matches, while Guinea-Bissau now have six points from the same number of games.
Despite the setback, Chelle called for calm within the squad and stressed the importance of learning from the defeat with plenty of qualifying matches still ahead. He also apologised to Nigerian supporters and accepted responsibility for the team’s performance.
Nigeria will have an opportunity to respond in the next qualifying window, when they face Tanzania twice between November 9 and 16, 2026.