KEY POINTS
• Nigeria’s Super Eagles have arrived in Bissau ahead of Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea Bissau.
• The team travelled from Uyo after beating Madagascar 2 1 in their opening Group L fixture.
• Guinea Bissau also won their opening match, beating Tanzania 2 0 to move ahead of Nigeria on goal difference.
MAIN STORY
The Super Eagles have arrived in Bissau for Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Guinea Bissau, with both teams entering the Group L fixture on three points.
Nigeria travelled from Uyo on Sunday, less than two days after recovering from a goal down to defeat Madagascar 2 1 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.
The squad completed its final training session in Uyo before leaving for Guinea Bissau aboard a chartered ValueJet flight.
Promise Efoghe, Super Eagles Media Officer, said the team departed the Victor Attah International Airport at about 5 p.m. and arrived at Osvaldo Vieira International Airport in Bissau at about 8:40 p.m.
“The Super Eagles had a final training session earlier on Sunday morning in Uyo before coach Eric Chelle and his players departed for Guinea-Bissau at about 5 p.m.
“The team went on board a chartered ValueJet flight,” Efoghe said.
Nigeria’s opening victory came after Madagascar took the lead, before George Ilenikhena equalised and Moses Usor completed the comeback in the second half. CAF confirmed Nigeria’s 2 1 victory, while Guinea Bissau began their campaign with a 2 0 away win over Tanzania.
The result leaves Guinea Bissau ahead of Nigeria on goal difference going into Tuesday’s encounter.
The match will be played at the Estádio Nacional 24 de Setembro in Bissau. Guinea Bissau, ranked 132nd in the world and 38th in Africa according to the supplied source, have faced Nigeria four times, winning once in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers.
Nigeria lost that meeting 1 0 at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
Group L has an unusual qualification arrangement because Tanzania are already assured of a place at the 2027 tournament as one of the co hosts. CAF says Nigeria, Guinea Bissau and Madagascar are therefore competing for the remaining qualification place available to the highest ranked non host team in the group.
Tuesday’s meeting will therefore bring together the two teams that opened the qualifying campaign with victories, with Nigeria seeking to build on its home win in Uyo.
THE ISSUES
- Nigeria and Guinea Bissau both have three points after winning their opening fixtures, but Guinea Bissau hold the early advantage on goal difference.
- The qualification race in Group L is limited by Tanzania’s automatic place as a co host of the 2027 AFCON, leaving Nigeria, Guinea Bissau and Madagascar competing for the group’s available qualification position.
- Nigeria’s immediate challenge is an away fixture against a Guinea Bissau side that also started the campaign with a victory, after defeating Tanzania 2 0.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Super Eagles will face Guinea Bissau at the Estádio Nacional 24 de Setembro in Bissau on Tuesday in their second Group L qualifying fixture.
BOTTOM LINE
Nigeria arrive in Bissau with three points from their opening win over Madagascar, while Guinea Bissau also have three points after beating Tanzania. The result on Tuesday will affect the early positioning of both teams in the race for Group L’s available qualification place.
