AFCON Qualifiers: Chelle opens up on why Super Eagles lost in Bissau

Super Eagles coach Éric Chelle has admitted that Guinea-Bissau were more aggressive and intense than Nigeria in Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat, acknowledging that his team struggled to match the hosts’ determination in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying encounter.

The defeat at the 24 September Stadium in Bissau was a setback for Nigeria, who had opened their Group L campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in Uyo on Friday.

Speaking after the match, Chelle said Guinea-Bissau showed greater aggression and personality, while the Super Eagles failed to find solutions against their opponents.

“They were more aggressive than us. 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,” he said.

The coach also pointed to the difficult playing conditions, although he was careful to clarify that they were not an excuse for the result.

“This is not an excuse, but if you look at the conditions, they know their pitch. They usually play on that surface, but for us, it was the first time, and the pitch was very, very bad. The weather conditions were also very poor.

“Guinea-Bissau came into the game, as I said, more motivated and more aggressive. They showed greater intensity, and we never found a solution.”

Chelle questions second-half response

The Nigerian coach said he attempted to change his team’s approach after the break by encouraging the players to attack through the flanks and create one-on-one opportunities.

However, he expressed disappointment that the Super Eagles failed to sustain the approach.

“We tried to go forward after half-time and bring something new, using one-on-one situations on the flanks. But after 10 minutes, we stopped. We stopped, and I don’t know why,” he said.

Chelle added that the team must objectively assess its performance and identify what went wrong rather than dwell on the result.

“Once again, we have to be very objective about this game. But this is not the end. We still have a lot of games to play.”

Tanzania fixtures become crucial

With four matches remaining in the qualifying campaign, Chelle identified Nigeria’s two November fixtures against Tanzania as particularly important to the team’s hopes of reaching the tournament.

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“We have two games against Tanzania in November, and we have to win both. After that, Guinea-Bissau will come to Nigeria, and we have to put them in the same conditions that we experienced in Guinea-Bissau,” he said.

The coach insisted that the Super Eagles must remain composed despite the setback, expressing confidence in the players to recover.

“I’m very confident about my team and this group. Today was not a good day for us. This is the first time I have seen my team perform like that, but we have to move forward.

“Both games against Tanzania are very important. After that, we have the final matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau. A lot can happen in four games, so we have to stay focused and calm.

“We know our strengths and our weaknesses. Today was a bad day for us, but I’m still confident about my team and my players.”

Nigeria will now turn their attention to the November fixtures against Tanzania as they seek to recover from the defeat and keep their qualification hopes on track.