AFCON qualifiers: Eric Chelle opens on major setback ahead of Guinea-Bissau

Eric Chelle, the coach of Nigeria's Super Eagles, has expressed concern over a significant setback facing his team ahead of their upcoming 2027 AFCON qualifier against Guinea-Bissau. The match will take place at the Estádio Nacional 24 de Setembro in Bissau, where both teams aim to capitalize on their respective victories from the opening matchday of the AFCON qualifiers.

Following their win against Madagascar, Chelle led his team in a recovery session in Uyo on Saturday before resuming intense preparations with an additional training session on Sunday, prior to their departure for Bissau.

During a press conference on the eve of the crucial encounter, Chelle admitted that the Super Eagles had limited time to strategize for the match. He emphasized, "We didn't have enough training sessions to work a lot. This is the problem with this kind of FIFA window. You have only one or two training sessions to prepare." Chelle further explained that the team would only have a couple of recovery training sessions before embarking on their journey to Bissau.

Chelle acknowledged that his team's statistical analysis revealed they had deserved the win against Madagascar, yet the actual performance left much to be desired. "The match performance was very difficult for us," he stated, attributing their early goal conceded and the overall difficulty of the game to the reasons behind his previous comments.

Additionally, Chelle expressed worry over the physical condition of George Ilenikhena ahead of the fixture. At least two other players are also expected to undergo fitness tests in preparation for the high-stakes match.