By John Egbokhan
After seeing his side slump to a shock 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau, Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has said the Nigerians must win their next two matches to revive their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Tuesday’s capitulation to the Djurtus has strengthened Guinea-Bissau’s position at the summit of the group and boosted their chances of securing the only qualification ticket for the biennial tournament, set to hold next year.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Chelle hailed the Guinea-Bissau team for their performance, pointing out that their mentality, attitude and physicality were the vital factors that gave them the edge over the Super Eagles.
“They were more aggressive than us. When you try to play, to cross, or make a cross, you need to have this aggressiveness in your state of mind to make the difference,” said Chelle.
Continuing, the Franco-Malian born gaffer sulked over the poor state of the pitch, noting that the bad surface played a role in deciding the outcome of the game.
“I think they were better than us. This is not an apology but they know their pitch. They usually play on this pitch but for us this is the first time and the pitch was very bad.”
Speaking further, Chelle said that he attempted to change his side’s dynamics and approach in the second half, but the Super Eagles struggled to execute the plan because of the weather conditions.
“The weather was very hot too, so Guinea Bissau entered the game more motivated, aggressive, and we never found the solution.
“We tried to go forward to bring something new with the one-on-one on the wide but you see after ten minutes we stopped. I don’t know why”.
Despite the defeat,, Chelle has expressed hope that the Super Eagles still have a chance of securing qualification, stressing that his wards must secure back to back victories over Tanzania to keep their hopes alive.
“To be very objective about this game, this is not the end, we have many games to play.
“We have two games against Tanzania in November, we have to win both games and after that, Guinea Bissau will come down to Uyo, we have to put them in the same condition that we are here.
“I am very confident about my team, today was not a good day for us. This is the first time that I see my team like that, so we will have to go forward, both games against Tanzania are very important.
“After that there is the last game against Madagascar and then Guinea Bissau, a lot of things can happen.”
Chelle appealed to Nigerian fans not to be upset with the result against Guinea-Bissau, and asked them to remain calm and continue supporting the Super Eagles.
“We have to stay focused and calm, we know our strengths and weaknesses and today was a bad day for us but I am still confident about my team and players,” Chelle concluded.
The Super Eagles presently sit second in the group with three points, while Guinea-Bissau top the table with six points and a superior goal difference.
