Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has issued a clear warning to Guinea-Bissau following Nigeria’s humbling 3-0 defeat in Bissau, promising that the Djurtus will face a vastly different atmosphere when they make the trip to Uyo.
While admitting his team was outfought on a difficult afternoon at the Estádio 24 de Setembro, Chelle made no secret of his determination to settle the score on home soil.
The Super Eagles were caught on the back foot early, going down to a 15th-minute strike from Franculino Djú before Mamadi Camara and Álvaro Djaló sealed a decisive victory for the hosts.
Beyond the unfamiliar pitch and punishing heat, Chelle admitted his biggest frustration was his team’s sudden drop in intensity early in the second half.
“We tried to go forward after halftime, to bring something new, but after 10 minutes we stopped and I don’t know why. They were more aggressive than us, they were better than us… Guinea-Bissau entered the game more motivated, they put more intensity and we never found a solution.”
Despite losing ground in Group L, the Malian tactician remains firmly optimistic about Nigeria’s qualification trajectory.
With crucial back-to-back fixtures against Tanzania coming up in November, Chelle is already eyeing the return fixture against Guinea-Bissau as the moment to strike back.
“This is not the end because there are lots of games to play,” Chelle insisted. “The situation is not very good but I am very confident about my team.”
“After [Tanzania], we have Guinea-Bissau in Uyo and we need to put them in the same condition we had here.”
