Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has explained the factors behind Nigeria’s 3 0 defeat to Guinea Bissau in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Tuesday.
The defeat came three days after Nigeria recovered from a goal down to defeat Madagascar 2 1 in their opening fixture.
Nigeria struggled against Guinea Bissau, with Franculino Djú putting the hosts ahead in the first half.
Mama Baldé doubled the advantage after the break before Álvaro Djaló completed the scoring in stoppage time.
Speaking to the media after the match, Chelle admitted that Guinea Bissau were the better side.
The coach also attributed part of his team’s struggles to the condition of the pitch and the hot weather.
“They were more aggressive than us; they were better than us,” Chelle said.
“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.”
