Sports World

It was not only Ghana who endured a miserable Tuesday night in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. In Bissau, Nigeria were beaten 3-0 by Guinea-Bissau, a result that handed coach Eric Chelle his first defeat and leaves the Super Eagles with a steep climb in Group L.

How the game unfolded

The hosts struck early. Franculino Dju opened the scoring in the 15th minute, curling a shot into the far corner beyond Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, according to Channels Television.

Nigeria struggled to respond and went in a goal behind at half-time. Chelle made two changes at the break, bringing on Moses Usor and Moses Simon for Frank Onyeka and Taiwo Awoniyi, but Guinea-Bissau doubled their lead in the 66th minute. Mama Baldé dribbled past Bright Osayi-Samuel and slotted past Nwabali, Daily Trust reported.

The Super Eagles had chances to get back into the game. Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper Djoco Embadje denied Ademola Lookman after good work from Alex Iwobi, and later made a close-range save from George Ilenikhena. Instead, it was the hosts who had the final say, with Djaló breaking forward on the counter-attack and scoring deep into stoppage time to complete the rout.

A historic night for Guinea-Bissau

Daily Trust described the result as Guinea-Bissau's biggest ever win over Nigeria. It also had a familiar hero. Baldé scored the only goal when Guinea-Bissau beat Nigeria 1-0 in Abuja during qualifying for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

For Nigeria, it was a rare collapse. According to Legit.ng, it was the first time the Super Eagles had conceded three or more goals in an AFCON qualifier since a 4-4 draw with Sierra Leone in 2020. Daily Trust also noted that a bumpy pitch added to the visitors' difficulties.

Why the table matters so much

The defeat is especially damaging because of how Group L is structured. Tanzania are already guaranteed a place at the 2027 finals as one of the tournament's co-hosts, which means Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar are competing for a single remaining qualifying spot.

Guinea-Bissau now lead the way with six points from two games, having also beaten Tanzania 2-0. Nigeria have three points after coming from behind to beat Madagascar 2-1 in their opener, while Madagascar have one.

With the head-to-head swing already heavily in Guinea-Bissau's favour, Nigeria will almost certainly need to win their remaining fixtures and hope the group leaders drop points.

What happens next

The qualifying campaign resumes in November, giving Chelle time to reflect on a first defeat that has sparked strong reaction among Nigerian supporters. Three-time African champions Nigeria have plenty of attacking quality, but on this evidence they will need a significant improvement to avoid being left out of the 2027 tournament.

For Guinea-Bissau, the victory is a statement of intent. They have now beaten both Tanzania and Nigeria and are firmly in control of their own destiny.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons