Super Eagles Face Guinea-Bissau Test With Top Spot at Stake in AFCON Qualifiers
Nigeria will be aiming to maintain their winning start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign when they face Guinea-Bissau in their second Group L fixture on Tuesday, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The Super Eagles opened their campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in Uyo, while Guinea-Bissau began with an impressive 2-0 win over Tanzania.
Both Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau therefore have three points, but the Djurtus currently occupy top spot because of their superior goal difference.
Group L standings after Matchday 1
- Guinea-Bissau, 3 points
- Nigeria, 3 points
- Madagascar, 0 points
- Tanzania, 0 points
The fixture in Bissau is consequently an important early test for Eric Chelle’s side, with a victory potentially moving Nigeria to the top of the group.
Nigeria had to fight back after Madagascar took an early lead in Uyo, with debutants George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor scoring to secure the three points.
Guinea-Bissau, meanwhile, demonstrated their attacking threat by defeating Tanzania 2-0 in their opening fixture and will be confident of causing Nigeria problems on home soil.
The qualification picture in Group L is also different because Tanzania are one of the three hosts of the 2027 AFCON alongside Kenya and Uganda and have an automatic place at the finals.
That makes the fixtures involving Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar particularly important, with the three teams competing for the group’s available qualification place.
For Nigeria, beating Guinea-Bissau would provide more than three points. It would give the Super Eagles an early advantage over one of their direct rivals and put Chelle’s team in a strong position in the group.
A draw would keep both teams on four points after two matches, although their positions would depend on the other Group L result and goal difference.
A defeat, on the other hand, would see Guinea-Bissau move three points clear of Nigeria and give the Djurtus an important advantage in the early stages of the qualification race.
The Super Eagles will therefore have to produce a more controlled performance than they did against Madagascar, particularly after allowing the Barea to score first in Uyo.
With the two sides separated only by goal difference at the top of the table, Tuesday’s meeting at the 24 September Stadium in Bissau represents an early opportunity for Nigeria to take control of their qualification campaign.
Chelle will also be hoping that the confidence generated by the comeback against Madagascar can carry into the Guinea-Bissau encounter as Nigeria targets another three points on the road.
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