Super Eagles lose 3-0 in Bissau as Guinea-Bissau go clear in Group L
Goals from Franculino Djú, Mama Baldé and Álvaro Djaló gave Guinea-Bissau a 3-0 win over Nigeria in their AFCON 2027 qualifier, leaving Eric Chelle's side three points off the Group L lead.
By John Christian Mmaduabuchi, Chief Editor
· · Video
The gist in 30 seconds
- Guinea-Bissau 3-0 Nigeria: Franculino Djú, Mama Baldé and Álvaro Djaló scored in Bissau on Tuesday 29 September
- Guinea-Bissau lead Group L with six points; Nigeria have three, Madagascar and Tanzania one each
- Only one team besides co-hosts Tanzania will qualify from the group
Updated 10:02 WAT, 30 Sep 2026: Guinea-Bissau beat Nigeria 3-0 in Tuesday’s qualifier in Bissau, and this preview has been rewritten as a match report.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles lost 3-0 to Guinea-Bissau in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Estádio 24 de Setembro in Bissau on Tuesday, leaving the hosts three points clear at the top of Group L.
Franculino Djú gave Guinea-Bissau a 15th-minute lead. Mama Baldé doubled it midway through the second half, and Álvaro Djaló added a third five minutes into stoppage time, according to CAF and Channels Television.
The two sides went into the game as the only winners on the opening matchday of Group L. Nigeria had come from behind to beat Madagascar 2-1 in Uyo on Friday, with debutants George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor scoring, while Guinea-Bissau had won 2-0 away to co-hosts Tanzania.
Without the injured Victor Osimhen, Eric Chelle started Taiwo Awoniyi up front, TheCable reported. Chelle sent on Usor and Moses Simon for Frank Onyeka and Awoniyi at half-time, Channels Television reported, and Nigeria created chances through the pair, according to Premium Times. Channels said Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper Djoco Embadje denied Ilenikhena from close range in the 87th minute.
Chelle said his side had been second best. “They were more aggressive than us,” he told reporters, according to Premium Times. He also pointed to the conditions, saying the pitch “was very, very bad”, although he added: “This is not an excuse.”
Why this one matters
The stakes in Group L are higher than usual. Tanzania qualify automatically as co-hosts of the Pamoja AFCON with Kenya and Uganda, so only one other team from the group will reach the finals, instead of the usual two.
Guinea-Bissau now have six points from two games, with Nigeria on three. Madagascar and Tanzania drew 1-1 in the group’s other match on Tuesday, Leadership and Complete Sports reported, leaving both on one point.
It is the second time in three years that Guinea-Bissau have beaten Nigeria in AFCON qualifying, after their 1-0 win in Abuja in 2023.
What next: The Super Eagles travel to Russia for an international friendly at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Tuesday, 6 October. Qualifying resumes in November with two games against Tanzania. “We have two games against Tanzania in November, and we have to win both,” Chelle said, according to Premium Times. Nigeria’s last two group games are against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, who will visit Nigeria.
Sources
We checked this story against these sources. How we check
- Premium Times: Super Eagles depart for Guinea-Bissau clash after Madagascar win
- Premium Times: AFCON Qualifiers: Chelle reflects on Madagascar win, warns Eagles ahead of Guinea-Bissau clash
- CAF: TotalEnergies CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027 MD 1 & 2 Qualifiers Fixtures, Kick-off Times and Venues
- CAF: Group-by-group: How the AFCON PAMOJA 2027 qualifying race stands after Matchday One
- Legit.ng: Super Eagles Land in Guinea-Bissau Ahead of AFCON 2027 Qualifier Matchday 2 Clash
- Channels Television: AFCON Qualifiers: Ilenikhena, Usor Fire Eagles To Winning Start As Nigeria Beat Madagascar 2-1
- Soccernet NG: Super Eagles land in Guinea-Bissau as Chelle aims to avoid repeat of 2023 disaster
- AllNigeriaSoccer: Russia v Nigeria October friendly: Kickoff time confirmed, tickets from N8,000
- Nigeria Football Federation: International Friendly: Nigeria to face Russia in Nizhny Novgorod on October 6
- CAF: Nigeria and Ghana stunned as AFCON qualifying delivers major shocks
- Channels Television: AFCON Qualifiers: Guinea-Bissau beat Super Eagles 3-0
- Premium Times: Guinea-Bissau thrash Nigeria 3-0
- Premium Times: AFCON Qualifiers: Chelle opens up on why Super Eagles lost in Bissau
- TheCable: Super Eagles suffer 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in AFCON qualifiers
- Leadership: Madagascar, Tanzania share spoils in AFCON qualifier
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John Christian Mmaduabuchi is a Nigerian filmmaker, creative director, and media professional with extensive experience in digital storytelling, visual journalism, and contemporary media. His Journalism interests span Nigerian and African current affairs, entertainment, culture, technology, lifestyle, media, and the people shaping public conversation. With a background in film direction and documentary production, he brings a strong visual and narrative perspective to editorial work, with particular attention to context, clarity, and compelling storytelling. John is also a creative entrepreneur focused on storytelling, entertainment, culture, and digital content. His professional experience across directing, cinematography, editing, media strategy, and emerging AI technologies gives him a broad understanding of how stories are created, distributed, and consumed in the digital age. At GistMatrix, John contributes to the development and presentation of timely, engaging, and relevant stories for a contemporary audience. His approach to editorial work is grounded in accuracy, context, responsible storytelling, and a commitment to covering stories that matter.
