Eric Chelle Super Eagles Setback: Injury Doubts and Short Prep Time Ahead of Guinea-Bissau AFCON Qualifier
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has admitted that Nigeria go into their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea-Bissau with less preparation and a thinner squad than he would like. The Super Eagles face the Djurtus in Group L at the Estádio Nacional 24 de Setembro in Bissau on Tuesday, September 29, with kick-off set for 5pm Nigerian time.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Monday, Chelle complained about the limited time available during the FIFA window. He said the team did not have enough training sessions to work on tactics and described this as the problem with this kind of window, in which coaches often get only one or two sessions. After Friday’s win over Madagascar, the squad held a recovery session in Uyo on Saturday and trained again on Sunday before travelling to Bissau. The players had a final session at the stadium on the eve of the match.
Fitness worries add to the difficulty. Chelle confirmed that forward George Ilenikhena is a major doubt after picking up a minor knock. The 20-year-old scored on his senior debut in the 2-1 win over Madagascar, coming off the bench to level the game. Chelle said the striker would be assessed after the team’s final training session. Reports also list Tolu Arokodare and Akor Adams among the players in doubt, with Adams said to have a fitness issue.
Illness has hit the camp as well. Chelle revealed that two or three players fell sick at the team hotel in Bissau, though he did not name them or say what was wrong. He said he would know more after training.
The problem is made worse by the absence of Victor Osimhen, who is unavailable for this international window because of ongoing medical treatment. His absence, combined with the doubts over Ilenikhena and Adams, leaves Chelle with fewer options up front and may force changes to the attack.
Nigeria still arrive with momentum. The Super Eagles recovered from an early goal against Madagascar, who led for more than half an hour. Ilenikhena equalised in first-half stoppage time, and substitute Moses Usor scored the winner in the 65th minute. Chelle admitted the performance was not especially impressive and said the team must start more sharply this time.
Guinea-Bissau will be confident. They opened their campaign with a 2-0 away win over co-hosts Tanzania and have home advantage. They have also troubled Nigeria before, beating the Super Eagles 1-0 in 2023 AFCON qualifying. Nigeria won the return fixture in Bissau 1-0 through a Moses Simon penalty and beat them by the same scoreline at the 2023 finals.
A win would give Nigeria two wins from two in the group and strengthen their bid for a place at AFCON 2027. Chelle has called for a strong mentality from his players, and how they cope with the setbacks may decide the result.
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