*Nigeria slip three points behind Group L leaders Guinea-Bissau on six
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Super Eagles have returned to their now familiar path of getting easily beaten by lowly teams in the continent as Guinea-Bissau, ranked 132nd in latest FIFA ranking defeated 26th ranked Nigeria 3-0 yesterday evening in Bissau.
The Wild Dogs’ Franculino Djú struck in the 15th minute, Mama Baldé doubled the lead in the 65th while Álvaro Djaló completed the damage in stoppage time. Apart from a few tepid attempts at goal that were saved by Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper, Fernando Embadjé, Eagles were clearly poor yesterday in Bissau.
Ademola Lookman attempt just before half-time and another from George Ilenikhena in the 85th minute, were the only visible opportunity by Nigeria to go anywhere close to scoring,
The win has now placed Guinea-Bissau firmly on the driver’s seat of Group L of the 2027 AFCON on maximum six points from two matches. Super Eagles are three points behind Guinea-Bissau’s Wild Dogs who similarly won their opening match against Tanzania last Friday. Eagles came from one goal down to beat Madagascar 2-1 to earn their first three points.
Both Tanzania and Madagascar that played a 1-1 draw yesterday are third and fourth on one point each.
However, Tanzania as one of the three host countries of the 2027 AFCON have booked their automatic passage. They are only in the campaign to fine-tune their squad ahead of the tournament proper next year. Only one team will qualify from Group L.
The Super Eagles will have to respond in November, when they play Tanzania home and away in continuation of the qualifying tournament.
On a day that so much was expected from the Super Eagles after their not too convincing 2-1 win against Madagascar last Friday, Head Coach, Eric Chelle, gave Nigerian football aficionados a scare with his starting line up.
The Franco-Malian gaffer opted to play Taiwo Awoniyi with Akor Adams in the frontline with no wide players either side to feed the striker. The combination of Tolu Arokodare, Ademola Lookman and new boy Moses Usor would perhaps have unsettled the Guinea-Bissau defence line.
It is now very clear that without injured Victor Osimhen in Nigeria’s line up, winning any game now appears a huge problem. Madagascar were naïve not to have a share of the points at stake last Friday! Now, Guniea-Bissau have further exposed the inadequacy in Chelle’s credential as a capable coach for the Super Eagles.
Yesterday’s 3-0 loss marked a significant first in Chelle’s Super Eagles tenure. Since taking charge, the coach had avoided defeat in regulation time across Nigeria’s competitive matches, making the collapse in Bissau his first such loss and the most embarrassing from a lowly ranked country.
RESULTS
AFCON 2027
Comoros 1-0 Namibia
Burundi 2-2 Algeria
Ethiopia 0-1 Senegal
Lesotho 0-2 Morocco
Madagascar 1-1 Tanzania
Mozambique 4-1 Sudan
S’Sudan 0-5 Egypt
Cape Verde 1-2 Rwanda
Ghana 2-4 Gambia
G’Bissau 3-0 Nigeria
Uganda 1-0 Libya
Zambia 2-0 Togo
Benin 2-1Mauritania
Congo 1-1 Cameroon
Gabon 2-0 Niger
Liberia 0-1 Mali
Somalia 0-2 I’Coast
UEFA Nations League
Czech 0-2 England
Spain 4-1 Croatia
Scotland 0-3 Switzerland
Slovenia 2-0 N’Macedonia
Finland 0-0 Belarus
Bulgaria 0-0 Estonia