Nigeria Vs Guinea-Bissau: Super Eagles Express Fresh Concerns Over Match Pitch

The condition of the playing surface at Estádio 24 de Setembro in Bissau has emerged as a major talking point for the Super Eagles ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea-Bissau.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Nigeria arrived in Bissau after beginning their qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Madagascar in Uyo. Guinea-Bissau also secured a win in their opening fixture against Tanzania, leaving both teams level on three points ahead of Tuesday’s encounter.

Despite concerns surrounding the pitch, the atmosphere within the Nigerian camp has reportedly remained positive. Andrew Randa, a member of the Nigeria Football Federation media delegation in Bissau, said the players used a training session to familiarise themselves with the playing surface and appeared comfortable ahead of the match.

“Everybody looks relaxed,” Randa said. He explained that the players spent about an hour training on the pitch and discussed the condition of the surface and how their previous experiences playing on difficult pitches could help them cope with the conditions.

However, the state of the pitch remains a significant subject of discussion within the Super Eagles camp, with videos showing the surface circulating on social media.

Randa also claimed that some Guinea-Bissau players had expressed concerns about the pitch and would have preferred the match to be played in Morocco.

“Some of the Guinea-Bissau players actually complained about the pitch too, and some said they would have preferred to play in Morocco,” he said.

The condition of the surface could also affect Nigeria’s tactical approach, with head coach Eric Chelle reportedly taking the pitch into consideration when planning his strategy for the game.

Randa said Chelle had acknowledged that the playing surface could influence the type of football Nigeria would adopt during the encounter.

“The pitch isn’t exactly what it should be, and there are concerns among the players. But again, they’re going to give their best, because they know they need to build on the three points they got against Madagascar,” he said.

He added that Chelle had indicated that the state of the pitch would play a role in determining Nigeria’s game plan.

“Even Eric Chelle said the pitch will determine what kind of game plan he puts out today. So the pitch is a very big concern,” Randa stated.

Despite the concerns, Randa stressed that Nigeria could not use the playing surface as an excuse, noting that both teams would have to compete under the same conditions.

“There are no excuses. Both teams play on the same pitch, and I hope Nigeria gets the three points,” he said.

There were also reports of uncertainty over the availability of the Video Assistant Referee system for the qualifier, which could leave contentious decisions to the match officials on the field.

The Super Eagles are scheduled to face Guinea-Bissau at Estádio 24 de Setembro in Bissau at 5:00pm Nigerian time on Tuesday, September 29, with both sides looking to strengthen their position in the AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign.