‘This Is Not The End’ — Chelle Vows Super Eagles Will Bounce Back After Guinea-Bissau Rout
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has refused to press the panic button after Nigeria suffered a damaging 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying clash in Bissau.
The three-time African champions were completely outplayed at the Estadio 24 de Setembro on Tuesday, just three days after opening their Group L campaign with a 2-1 victory over Madagascar in Uyo.
The defeat leaves Nigeria second in the group with three points from two matches, while Guinea-Bissau sit top with six points.
Chelle admitted his side were second best on the night but pointed to the difficult playing conditions as one of the factors that affected his players.
“They were more aggressive than us, they were better than us,” the Malian coach said.
“This is not an excuse, but they know their pitch because they usually play on it. For us, it was the first time and the pitch was very bad. The weather was also very hot.
“Guinea-Bissau entered the game more motivated and aggressive. They put more intensity into the game and we never found a solution.”
The Super Eagles attempted to respond after the interval, but Chelle admitted their improvement lasted only briefly.
“We tried to go forward after half-time, to bring something new, but after 10 minutes we stopped and I don’t know why,” he added.
Despite the heavy setback, Chelle insisted Nigeria still have plenty of time to recover their campaign, with four qualifying matches remaining.
“But this is not the end because there are lots of games to play,” he said.
“We have two games against Tanzania in November and we have to win both games. After that, we have Guinea-Bissau in Uyo and we need to put them in the same condition we had here.”
Chelle acknowledged that Nigeria’s position had become more difficult but maintained confidence in his squad.
“The situation is not very good, but I am very confident about my team. We have four more games and anything can happen.
“We have to stay focused and calm. We know our strengths and weaknesses. Today was a bad day for us, but I am still confident about my team and my players.”
The three-time African champions were completely outplayed at the Estadio 24 de Setembro on Tuesday, just three days after opening their Group L campaign with a 2-1 victory over Madagascar in Uyo.
The defeat leaves Nigeria second in the group with three points from two matches, while Guinea-Bissau sit top with six points.
Chelle admitted his side were second best on the night but pointed to the difficult playing conditions as one of the factors that affected his players.
“They were more aggressive than us, they were better than us,” the Malian coach said.
“This is not an excuse, but they know their pitch because they usually play on it. For us, it was the first time and the pitch was very bad. The weather was also very hot.
“Guinea-Bissau entered the game more motivated and aggressive. They put more intensity into the game and we never found a solution.”
The Super Eagles attempted to respond after the interval, but Chelle admitted their improvement lasted only briefly.
“We tried to go forward after half-time, to bring something new, but after 10 minutes we stopped and I don’t know why,” he added.
Despite the heavy setback, Chelle insisted Nigeria still have plenty of time to recover their campaign, with four qualifying matches remaining.
“But this is not the end because there are lots of games to play,” he said.
“We have two games against Tanzania in November and we have to win both games. After that, we have Guinea-Bissau in Uyo and we need to put them in the same condition we had here.”
Chelle acknowledged that Nigeria’s position had become more difficult but maintained confidence in his squad.
“The situation is not very good, but I am very confident about my team. We have four more games and anything can happen.
“We have to stay focused and calm. We know our strengths and weaknesses. Today was a bad day for us, but I am still confident about my team and my players.”
