AFCON qualifier: Super Eagles raise concerns over waterlogged Guinea-Bissau pitch
by Moronfolu Adeyemi · The Eagle OnlineThe Super Eagles have raised concerns over the poor condition of the playing surface at the Estádio Nacional 24 de Setembro in Bissau ahead of Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea-Bissau.
Heavy rainfall in the country has left the pitch waterlogged, saturated and uneven, with concerns that the conditions could affect Nigeria’s style of play.
The two sides are set to meet in their second Group L fixture, with both teams looking to maintain their winning starts to the qualifiers.
Guinea-Bissau opened their campaign with a 2-0 away victory over Tanzania, while Nigeria defeated Madagascar 2-1 in Uyo.
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle acknowledged the concerns but refused to dwell on the condition of the pitch, insisting that his team would focus on adapting to the circumstances.
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Chelle said: “I don’t want to say whether the pitch is good or the pitch is bad.
“We just need to stay focused on our game.
“We have to manage and we will see how it is during the training session too before the game.”
The concerns are shared by the hosts, with Guinea-Bissau defender Jefferson Encada admitting that his team are also unhappy with the playing surface.
“We don’t want to play here. We don’t like the pitch,” Encada said.
Guinea-Bissau head coach Emiliano Té also admitted that the turf is not in ideal condition but said the situation was largely beyond the hosts’ control.
“We are playing in Africa and we know that our pitch is not one of the best, but it is what it is. It is what we have and we cannot do anything about it,” he said at the pre-match interview.
Té added: “We also don’t like to play on it the way it is now, but we can’t control that because it is raining and they try their best to make it good.”
Tuesday’s encounter will be the fifth meeting between the two countries, with Nigeria winning their last two encounters.
Guinea-Bissau previously stunned the Super Eagles 1-0 in Abuja during the first leg of the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, with Mama Baldé scoring the only goal.
Nigeria responded in the return fixture in Bissau, where Moses Simon converted a 30th-minute penalty to secure a 1-0 victory.
The Group L clash is scheduled to kick off at 5pm Nigerian time (4pm GMT) at the Estádio Nacional 24 de Setembro in Bissau.
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