Nigeria’s Super Eagles suffered a painful setback in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign after Guinea-Bissau produced a dominant display to secure a 3-0 victory in Bissau on Tuesday.
The defeat came just four days after Nigeria had opened their Group L campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in Uyo. This time, however, Eric Chelle’s side struggled to reproduce that attacking threat as the Djurtus punished defensive mistakes and remained dangerous on the counter throughout the encounter.
Guinea-Bissau made their intentions clear from the opening stages, pressing Nigeria and looking to exploit spaces behind the Super Eagles’ defensive line.
Their pressure eventually produced the breakthrough in the 15th minute.
Franculino Djú received the ball inside the Nigerian penalty area after being played through by Renato Nhaga. The forward created enough space to get his left-footed shot away before curling the ball beyond goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali and into the far corner.
Nwabali had little chance as the effort found the bottom corner, giving the home side a 1-0 advantage.
Nigeria immediately had to chase the game, but Guinea-Bissau’s organised defensive shape made it difficult for the visitors to create clear opportunities.
Ademola Lookman came closest to restoring parity before the break when Alex Iwobi found him in a promising position, but Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper Djoco Embadje reacted quickly to deny the Nigerian forward.
The hosts went into half-time with their narrow advantage intact, leaving Chelle with decisions to make.
The Nigerian coach responded by making two changes at the interval. Moses Simon and Moses Usor were introduced for Frank Onyeka and Taiwo Awoniyi as Nigeria attempted to add more attacking pace and creativity to the second half.
The substitutions gave Nigeria more attacking intent, but Guinea-Bissau remained dangerous whenever they won possession and transitioned forward.
Their persistence paid off again in the 66th minute.
Mama Baldé doubled the hosts’ advantage after taking advantage of space on the Nigerian right side. The Guinea-Bissau forward found room to fire a low effort towards the bottom corner.
The shot clipped the side of the woodwork before crossing the line, leaving Nwabali stranded as Guinea-Bissau moved 2-0 ahead. It was another painful moment for the Super Eagles and a reminder of how efficiently the hosts were exploiting Nigeria’s defensive weaknesses.
Baldé’s goal was particularly significant because he had also scored when Guinea-Bissau defeated Nigeria 1-0 during the previous AFCON qualifying campaign.
Chelle reacted almost immediately, sending Tolu Arokodare onto the pitch for Lookman in the 68th minute as Nigeria searched desperately for a way back into the contest.
Further changes followed in the 76th minute, with George Ilenikhena and Raphael Onyedika replacing Akor Adams and Wilfred Ndidi.
Nigeria pushed more players forward during the closing stages, but the Super Eagles struggled to turn possession into clear scoring opportunities.
When Nigeria did manage to break through, Embadje was there to preserve Guinea-Bissau’s clean sheet.
Ilenikhena had an excellent opportunity to reduce the deficit late in the game, but the Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper produced another important save from close range. Reports place the chance around the 85th to 87th minute, but Embadje stood firm to keep his side two goals ahead.
With Nigeria committed forward, spaces began to appear at the other end.
Guinea-Bissau took advantage deep into stoppage time.
In the fifth minute of added time, Álvaro Djaló completed the victory after receiving a through ball from Tamble Monteiro. The substitute kept his composure and finished with his right foot to make it 3-0.
The goal brought a miserable evening for Nigeria to an emphatic conclusion and sparked celebrations among the home supporters.
The result gives Guinea-Bissau six points from their opening two Group L matches. The Djurtus had previously defeated Tanzania 2-0 away from home, making Tuesday’s victory their second consecutive win in the qualifying campaign.
Nigeria, meanwhile, remain on three points after their opening victory over Madagascar.
The Super Eagles had entered the match with confidence after recovering from an early deficit against Madagascar, but their performance in Bissau was markedly different. Guinea-Bissau were more clinical in front of goal, defended their lead effectively and repeatedly threatened Nigeria when space opened up.
For Chelle, it was his first defeat since taking charge of the Nigerian national team, adding another layer to a disappointing night for the Super Eagles.
The defeat also means Nigeria now have ground to recover in Group L, with Guinea-Bissau taking early control of the qualification race.
The Super Eagles will need a stronger response in their remaining fixtures, particularly after failing to score for the first time in this qualifying campaign.
For Guinea-Bissau, however, the night could hardly have gone better. Franculino’s composed finish established the advantage, Baldé’s effort off the woodwork effectively put the hosts in control, and Djaló’s stoppage-time strike provided the finishing touch.
Final score: Guinea-Bissau 3-0 Nigeria.
The Djurtus leave the encounter with maximum points and another memorable victory over one of Africa’s traditional football powers, while Nigeria are left to regroup after one of their heaviest setbacks in recent AFCON qualifying history.
