{
  "id": 10631430,
  "title": "AFCON qualifiers: Eric Chelle opens on major setback ahead of Guinea-Bissau",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/afcon-qualifiers-eric-chelle-opens-on-major-setback-ahead-of-guinea",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T06:33:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Post Nigeria",
    "slug": "daily-post-nigeria",
    "url": "https://dailypost.ng/2026/09/29/afcon-qualifiers-eric-chelle-opens-on-major-setback-ahead-of-guinea-bissau/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\n\nDuring 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.\n\nChelle 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.",
  "summary": "Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle has revealed a major setback ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea-Bissau. He expressed concern over the insufficient time to prepare his team for the game. Nigeria will face the Djurtus at the Estádio Nacional 24 de Setembro in Bissau, with both teams seeking to build […] AFCON qualifiers: Eric Chelle opens on major setback ahead of…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria: All you need to know about crucial 2027 AFCON qualifier",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/guinea-bissau-vs-nigeria-all-you-need-to-know-about-crucial-2027",
        "published": "2026-09-29T05:30:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Premium Times",
        "title": "Four Super Eagles stars who could decide Nigeria’s AFCON Qualifier against Guinea-Bissau",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/four-super-eagles-stars-who-could-decide-nigerias-afcon-qualifier",
        "published": "2026-09-29T07:27:32.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}