Worst Decision Made By Super Eagles Coach That Cost Nigeria In Today’s Match

According to a report by Evening Standard on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, Nigeria suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match in Bissau. The result was a major setback for the Super Eagles after they had opened their campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in Uyo four days earlier.

The opening-match context makes the defeat even more frustrating for Nigeria. Against Madagascar, the Super Eagles had shown the ability to recover from going behind, with George Ilenikhena scoring the equaliser on his debut before Moses Usor came off the bench to score the winner. Nigeria therefore travelled to Bissau with three points and an opportunity to build momentum in Group L.

One of Eric Chelle’s biggest decisions was his starting lineup. He selected Taiwo Awoniyi, Akor Adams and Ademola Lookman in attack, while George Ilenikhena and Samuel Chukwueze were left on the bench. This was particularly noticeable because Ilenikhena had scored against Madagascar and Usor had made an immediate impact after being introduced in that match.

Starting Awoniyi also proved problematic from an attacking perspective. The striker was expected to provide a focal point in the absence of Victor Osimhen, but he struggled to give Nigeria the bite they needed in the final third. His movement did not cause enough problems for the Guinea-Bissau defence, and the Super Eagles lacked the sharpness required to respond after falling behind.

Chelle eventually replaced Awoniyi with Moses Simon at the start of the second half, showing that the initial attacking setup had not produced the desired result.

Another decision that attracted attention was keeping Ademola Lookman on the pitch after the restart. Lookman had already struggled to influence the first half, and his performance remained sluggish after the interval. He also appeared slow when Nigeria lost possession, giving Guinea-Bissau opportunities to regain the ball and launch attacks.

Chelle eventually substituted Lookman for Tolu Arokodare in the 68th minute, but Guinea-Bissau had already extended their advantage by then.

The overall setup also failed to give Nigeria sufficient control. The midfield trio of Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka and Alex Iwobi struggled to impose themselves, while Nigeria’s forwards were often isolated. Guinea-Bissau were able to exploit the spaces and punish Nigeria as the match progressed.

Chelle did make changes, including bringing on Usor and Simon at half-time, but the adjustments could not prevent the hosts from completing a 3-0 victory.

Nigeria had entered the match level on three points with Guinea-Bissau after both sides won their opening qualifiers, making the defeat particularly damaging to the Super Eagles’ early position in Group L. 

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