Super Eagles of Nigeria head coach, Éric Chelle, has declared that three-time African champions will take nothing for granted when they confront Guinea-Bissau’s Djurtus (Wild Dogs), on match day 2 of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifies in Bissau on Tuesday.
For 65 minutes on Monday evening, the Super Eagles had their official training at the match venue, under a light shower of rain, with all 24 invited players involved in the session.
Speaking ahead of the crucial qualifying fixture, Chelle warned his players against complacency, stressing that modern African football no longer holds automatic favourites.
“We respect them because they are a strong team; I have followed their progress over the years,” Chelle said at Monday’s pre-match press conference. “They also won away in Tanzania on Friday…”
“…And will be confident playing on home ground tomorrow. Our objective is to take the three points, and to do that, we must approach the game with a strong mentality. We have to be at our best to earn victory.”
The Franco-Malian refused to dwell on the poor state of the pitch of the 24 September Stadium, saying his team will make the best of the terrain for the 90 minutes.
A victory in Bissau would solidify Nigeria’s strong footing at the top of the qualifying group, setting a positive tone for the remainder of the campaign.
Tuesday’s clash will kick off with millions of Nigerian football enthusiasts tuning in as the Super Eagles look to inch closer to another AFCON tournament appearance.
