Guinea-Bissau Coach Breaks Silence as Super Eagles Train on Waterlogged Pitch

Guinea-Bissau coach Emiliano Té has played down concerns over the deteriorating condition of the 24 de Setembro Stadium pitch after the Super Eagles were forced to train on a waterlogged surface ahead of Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

The Nigerian delegation had a first-hand look at the difficult playing conditions on Monday evening, as Éric Chelle’s squad completed its official 65-minute training session at the match venue under a light shower.

All 24 players in camp took part in the session as the Super Eagles familiarised themselves with a pitch that had become saturated following persistent rainfall in Bissau.

The condition of the surface immediately became one of the major talking points ahead of the crucial Group L encounter, with the weather potentially adding another layer of difficulty to Nigeria’s first away assignment of the qualifying campaign.

However, Té insists there is little either team can do about the situation.

“We are playing in Africa and we know that our pitch is not one of the best, but it is what it is. It is what we have and we cannot do anything about it,” the Guinea-Bissau coach said at his pre-match press conference.

“We also don’t like to play on it the way it is now, but we can’t control that because it is raining and they try their best to make it good.”

The Guinea-Bissau coach’s comments came after Chelle also refused to make the playing surface an excuse for whatever happens on Tuesday.

The Franco-Malian tactician acknowledged the pitch concerns but maintained that Nigeria must concentrate on its football and adapt to the conditions.

“I don’t want to say whether the pitch is good or the pitch is bad. We just need to stay focused on our game,” Chelle said.

“We have to manage and we will see how it is during the training session too before the game.”

A Different Kind of Test for Nigeria

The saturated surface could influence the rhythm of the contest, with the movement of the ball, passing accuracy and players’ ability to change direction potentially affected by the heavy turf.

For Nigeria, the challenge comes at a crucial stage of the campaign.

Both teams opened their Group L qualifying campaigns with victories, leaving Tuesday’s meeting as an early battle between the two sides with maximum points.

Nigeria recovered from an early setback to defeat Madagascar 2-1 in Uyo, with debutants George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor scoring the goals that completed the comeback.

Guinea-Bissau, meanwhile, produced a strong away performance to defeat Tanzania 2-0 in their opening fixture.

The Djurtus will therefore enter the contest with confidence, while the Super Eagles will be seeking a second consecutive victory to strengthen their position in the group.

Nigeria also have recent experience of navigating difficult encounters against Guinea-Bissau.

The Djurtus shocked the Super Eagles 1-0 in Abuja during the 2023 AFCON qualifying campaign before Nigeria responded with a 1-0 victory in Bissau, Moses Simon converting a 30th-minute penalty.

With both sides beginning the campaign on three points, Tuesday’s encounter carries significant early importance.

And with the rain threatening to leave the 24 de Setembro Stadium pitch even more difficult, the Super Eagles may have to win not only the tactical battle against Guinea-Bissau, but also the battle with the conditions.