Guinea-Bissau coach Emiliano Te says Nigeria victory is ‘not impossible’

Guinea-Bissau head coach Emiliano Te says his side have the determination to beat Nigeria in Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, despite acknowledging the difficulty of the challenge.

The Djurtus welcome the Super Eagles to the 24 de Setembro National Stadium in Bissau for their second Group L qualifying match.

Both teams opened their campaigns with victories and go into the fixture on three points. Guinea-Bissau defeated Tanzania 2-0 away from home, while Nigeria recovered from behind to beat Madagascar 2-1 in Uyo.

Te accepted that Nigeria’s record in previous meetings gives the visitors an advantage, but said past results would not influence the outcome of the latest contest.

“We know it’s difficult to beat Nigeria, but it’s not impossible. We’re not going to look at the history of matches between the two teams,” he said, as quoted by Odemocratagb.

“They have the advantage, with three wins, while we’ve only managed one, but that’s part of history.”

Nigeria have won three of the four previous official senior international meetings between the sides. Guinea-Bissau’s only victory came in March 2023.

Te said the teams were approaching a different match in different circumstances and urged his players to remain composed while showing the courage required to claim another important result in qualifying.

“Today, the motivation is different, the moment is different, and the objectives are also different. Therefore, we will approach this game with great composure and courage to win the three points.”

Victory would give either side an early advantage in Group L, with both teams seeking to maintain their perfect start to the qualifying campaign.