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Guinea-Bissau stun Nigeria 3-0 to derail Super Eagles’ AFCON qualifying campaign
Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations suffered a major setback as Guinea-Bissau claimed a convincing 3-0 victory in the Super Eagles’ second qualifying match on Tuesday.
The defeat leaves Eric Chelle’s side three points behind Guinea-Bissau, who moved to the top of the group with six points from their opening two matches. Nigeria remain second after starting their campaign with a 2-1 comeback win against Madagascar last week.
Guinea-Bissau controlled much of the contest and took the lead after only 15 minutes. Trabzonspor striker Franculino Dju got away from Bruno Onyemaechi before curling his shot beyond Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
The Super Eagles struggled to respond and their defensive problems continued after the interval. Mama Balde increased the hosts’ advantage before Alvaro Djalo completed the scoring, securing Guinea-Bissau’s first win over Nigeria in the campaign.
It was Nigeria’s heaviest defeat in a competitive Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match in their history.
Lawal criticises Nigeria’s performance
Former Nigeria international Dimeji Lawal was disappointed by the display and felt the Super Eagles allowed Guinea-Bissau to grow into the match too easily.
Lawal believes Nigeria made the task more difficult for themselves by giving the hosts time and space to settle, before the defensive errors left them facing an uphill battle.
The result means Nigeria cannot afford any complacency in their remaining four qualifiers. Their position is particularly significant after they missed out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The three-time African champions have not failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations since 2017, but the loss has increased the pressure on Chelle’s team to respond in their next fixtures.
Despite the heavy defeat, Lawal remains confident that the Super Eagles can recover and secure qualification for the 2027 AFCON.
Nigeria will have the opportunity to repair some of the damage in November, when they face Tanzania in a double-header. The two matches will be their next chance to regain momentum and improve their position in the group.