Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has apologised to Nigerians following the team’s 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Nigeria suffered their first defeat of the qualifying campaign on Tuesday as Guinea-Bissau claimed all three points in their Group L encounter.
The two teams went into the match with three points each after winning their opening fixtures. Nigeria had defeated Madagascar 2-1, while Guinea-Bissau began their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Tanzania.
However, the hosts took control of Tuesday’s meeting after Franculino Djú opened the scoring in the 15th minute.
The Super Eagles went into the half-time break trailing by a goal and were unable to produce a response in the second half.
Mama Baldé doubled Guinea-Bissau’s advantage in the 66th minute before Álvaro Djaló struck late in the game to seal a 3-0 victory.
Speaking after the match, Chelle admitted that Guinea-Bissau deserved the victory and accepted responsibility for Nigeria’s performance.
Although the coach also raised concerns about the condition of the pitch, he refused to use it as an excuse for the result.
“I apologise to the fans. Guinea-Bissau were the better side. The pitch is also bad, but we accept responsibility,” he said.
The defeat leaves Nigeria on three points after two matches, while Guinea-Bissau moved to six points at the top of Group L.
Madagascar and Tanzania have one point each.
The result also increases the pressure on the Super Eagles in their bid to secure qualification for the continental tournament, with only the group winner progressing.
Nigeria are expected to return to action on October 6 for a friendly against Russia before facing Tanzania in a qualifying double-header during the November international window.
