The Super Eagles were stunned by Guinea-Bissau in their second 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier on Tuesday, suffering a 3-0 defeat to the Djurtus at the Estádio Nacional 24 de Setembro in Bissau.
Buoyed by their home supporters, the hosts secured a famous victory with one goal in the first half and two more after the break, keeping them at the top of Group L with a perfect six points from their opening two matches.
The Super Eagles started the game positively but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities against a disciplined Guinea-Bissau side. Taiwo Awoniyi had a sight of goal in the 12th minute but was unable to get his shot away, while Ademola Lookman received a brilliant pass from Alex Iwobi before seeing his effort comfortably saved by goalkeeper Fernando Embadjé.
Guinea-Bissau opened the scoring in the 15th minute through a clinical finish from Franculino Dju. The forward received the ball on the right before driving into the penalty area and firing a brilliant effort past Stanley Nwabali to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
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Nigeria pushed for an equaliser for the remainder of the first half but were unable to break down a resilient Guinea-Bissau defence. The hosts remained disciplined without the ball and composed in possession, holding on to their advantage until the interval.
Desperate to get back into the game, Eric Chelle made two changes at the start of the second half, introducing Moses Usor and Moses Simon for Frank Onyeka and Taiwo Awoniyi. However, the Super Eagles continued to struggle to seriously threaten the hosts.
The Djurtus doubled their advantage in the 66th minute through another brilliant finish, this time from captain Mama Baldé. The Brest forward dribbled his way into the box before calmly finding the bottom corner to make it 2-0.
Chelle responded with another change two minutes later, bringing on Tolu Arokodare for Lookman as Nigeria searched for a way back into the contest. However, the scoreline remained unchanged.
Raphael Onyedika and George Ilenikhena were introduced in the 76th minute as Nigeria continued to push forward in search of a goal. Ilenikhena came close to making an immediate impact, but his close-range effort was saved by Embadjé.
Guinea-Bissau then put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time when substitute Álvaro Djaló finished into the bottom corner following a ruthless counter-attack, completing a 3-0 victory for the hosts.
The result leaves Guinea-Bissau top of Group L with six points from their opening two qualifying matches, while Nigeria remain second on three points with a minus-two goal difference.
With only one team set to qualify from Group L, Guinea-Bissau’s perfect start gives them a crucial advantage in the race for the sole qualification spot.
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