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Guinea-Bissau defeat: Eric Chelle blames poor pitch and weather as Super Eagles unbeaten run ends
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has blamed a poor pitch and difficult weather conditions for Nigeria’s heavy 3-0 defeat by Guinea-Bissau.
The result was a major setback for Nigeria, who were outplayed by the Wild Dogs and struggled to respond after conceding. Chelle said Guinea-Bissau had shown greater determination and intensity throughout the match, while his side had been unable to solve the problems posed by their opponents.
The Franco-Malian coach also pointed to the state of the playing surface and the weather as factors that made the game particularly difficult for the Super Eagles.
Despite the defeat, Chelle believes Nigeria can recover and continue their campaign. He has called on the team to respond in their next fixtures, especially when Tanzania visit in November and when Guinea-Bissau travel to Uyo.
The loss ended Chelle’s 12-match unbeaten run in regulation time as Nigeria manager. His previous results were:
– 21 March 2025: Rwanda 0-2 Nigeria World Cup Qualifier, win
– 25 March 2025: Nigeria 1-1 Zimbabwe World Cup Qualifier, draw
– 28 May 2025: Nigeria 2-1 Ghana Unity Cup, London, win
– 31 May 2025: Jamaica 2-2 Nigeria Unity Cup Final, draw; Nigeria won 5-4 on penalties
– 6 June 2025: Russia 1-1 Nigeria International Friendly, Moscow, draw
– 6 September 2025: Nigeria 1-0 Rwanda World Cup Qualifier, win
– 9 September 2025: South Africa 1-1 Nigeria World Cup Qualifier, Bloemfontein, draw
– 10 October 2025: Lesotho 1-2 Nigeria World Cup Qualifier, win
– 14 October 2025: Nigeria 4-0 Benin World Cup Qualifier, win
– 13 November 2025: Gabon 1-4 Nigeria World Cup Playoff, win
– 16 November 2025: DR Congo 1-1 Nigeria World Cup Playoff Final, draw; Nigeria lost 3-4 on penalties
– 23 December 2025: Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania AFCON Morocco, win
The defeat has also increased scrutiny of Chelle’s new contract with the Nigeria Football Federation. He was appointed on 7 January 2025 on a two-year deal reportedly worth $50,000 per month, with responsibility for paying his assistants from that salary.
In January 2026, Chelle submitted a 19-point proposal to the NFF seeking a package of $130,000 per month to cover himself and his technical staff. The proposal also requested a furnished house in Abuja.
By August 2026, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau and the Executive Committee had reached a verbal agreement with Chelle. The NFF agreed to pay his assistants, while his own salary was reportedly increased to $75,000 per month – a 50 per cent rise. The revised contract is said to run from 1 June 2026 until August 2028.
The agreement has drawn criticism from some Super Eagles supporters, particularly after Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and then suffered the defeat by Guinea-Bissau.
Nigeria’s next chance to respond comes against Russia in an international friendly on 6 October at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, with kick-off at 5pm. The Super Eagles are also expected to face Tanzania in November before Guinea-Bissau visit Uyo.