Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has conceded that Guinea-Bissau deserved their victory after Nigeria were beaten 3-0 in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying clash on Tuesday.
The loss followed Nigeria’s 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar three days earlier in their opening qualifier.
Nigeria struggled to gain control of the encounter as Guinea-Bissau dictated proceedings and took the lead before half-time through Franculino Djú.
The Djurtus maintained their pressure after the restart, with Mama Baldé extending their advantage before Álvaro Djaló added a third goal in stoppage time.
Speaking after the match, Chelle admitted that Guinea-Bissau were superior on the night.
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“They were more aggressive than us; they were better than us,” Chelle said.
The coach also cited the poor condition of the pitch and the hot weather as factors that made the contest difficult for his team.
“Though this is not an excuse, they know their pitch. They usually play on this pitch, but for us, it was the first time, and the pitch was very bad. The weather was very hot too.
So, Guinea-Bissau entered the game more motivated and more aggressive. They put more intensity, and we never found a solution.
“We tried to go forward after halftime, to bring something new, but after 10 minutes, we stopped, and I don’t know why.”