Nigeria’s Super Eagles suffered a 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their second 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match on Tuesday, raising concerns over their chances of reaching the tournament.
The defeat comes as Nigeria continues to grapple with its failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the latest setback leaving the team with little room for error in the race for a place at the continental competition.
The Super Eagles, who defeated Madagascar 2-1 in a comeback victory in Uyo last Friday, struggled against a well-organised Guinea-Bissau side at the Estádio 24 de Setembro. The poor playing surface also made it difficult for the Nigerian team to settle into the encounter.
Guinea-Bissau took the lead in the 15th minute through Franculino Djú, who dribbled past the Nigerian defence before curling the ball into the far corner, leaving goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali with no chance.
Nigeria failed to find a response before the half-time break, prompting coach Eric Chelle to make two substitutions at the restart.
Moses Usor and Moses Simon were introduced for Frank Onyeka and Taiwo Awoniyi as the Super Eagles sought
to recover from the deficit.However, the hosts extended their lead in the 66th minute when Mama Baldé broke through the Nigerian defence with another impressive run before beating Nwabali.
Nigeria had a chance to reduce the deficit in the 87th minute, but Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper Djoco Embadje produced a close-range save to deny George Ilenikhena.
Álvaro Djaló compounded Nigeria’s misery by scoring the hosts’ third goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time to seal a comprehensive victory.
The result leaves Guinea-Bissau with six points from two matches after their opening 2-0 victory over co-hosts Tanzania, while Nigeria remain on three points from their opening win against Madagascar.
The Super Eagles now face an uphill task in the remaining qualifying fixtures, with only the highest-placed non-host nation in Group L guaranteed a place at the 2027 AFCON, as Tanzania have already secured qualification as co-hosts.
Nigeria will seek to recover when the next round of qualifiers takes place between November 9 and 17.
The final two qualifying matches are scheduled for March 2027, ahead of the tournament, which will run from June 19 to July 17 across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. A total of 24 teams are expected to compete in the finals.
