African Teams Deliberately Taking Super Eagles To Bad Pitches – Chelle Cries Out

According to a report by OwnGoalNigeria on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has accused some African teams of deliberately taking the Super Eagles to bad pitches.

Chelle raised the concern following Nigeria’s 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match in Bissau.

The Franco-Malian coach said the condition of the pitch affected his players, adding that the experience was not new for the Super Eagles during their recent away fixtures.

Chelle recalled Nigeria’s encounter with South Africa, where he also felt the playing surface was below the standard required for such an important match.

He suggested that some opponents might be taking advantage of poor pitches to disrupt Nigeria’s passing game and movement.

“Sometimes I believe teams do this to limit the way we play, which involves a lot of passes and movements,” Chelle told OwnGoalNigeria.

Despite his concerns, the coach acknowledged that the Super Eagles must learn to cope with difficult conditions rather than rely on them to explain disappointing results.

He stressed that his players had a responsibility to find solutions on the pitch, regardless of the circumstances surrounding a match.

“We have to find a way to do our job. Because when you lose, people don’t want to hear excuses,” he said.

Chelle added that adapting to such challenges was a message he regularly passed on to his players and expressed hope that they would improve their response when faced with similar situations.

“So it’s what I told my players all the time and hopefully we will do it”, he concluded.

The defeat in Guinea-Bissau was a significant setback for Nigeria’s campaign, with the Super Eagles struggling to impose their usual style before suffering a three-goal loss.

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