The Super Eagles will face Guinea-Bissau in their second 2027 AFCON qualifying fixture on Tuesday, with Eric Chelle’s side looking to make it two wins from two and take control of Group L, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nigeria opened their qualifying campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in Uyo on Friday, while Guinea-Bissau also claimed maximum points after defeating Tanzania 2-0 away from home.
The two teams enter Tuesday’s encounter level on three points, although Guinea-Bissau currently sit top of the group on goal difference.
With Tanzania already guaranteed a place at AFCON 2027 as one of the tournament’s co-hosts, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar are competing for the group’s only remaining qualification spot.
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Guinea-Bissau vs Super Eagles preview
The Djurtus made one of the strongest statements of the opening round when they defeated Tanzania 2-0 away from home. Franculino Djú opened the scoring in the 33rd minute before Mama Baldé doubled Guinea-Bissau’s advantage eight minutes after the restart.
The result moved Guinea-Bissau to the top of Group L and gave them early momentum ahead of their meeting with Nigeria.
The Super Eagles also started with three points, but Eric Chelle’s team had to come from behind to defeat Madagascar. Ehsan Kari put Madagascar ahead after 16 minutes before George Ilenikhena equalised in first-half stoppage time.
Moses Usor, who came on as a substitute, then scored the winner in the 65th minute to complete Nigeria’s comeback.
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Tuesday’s match is important because victory would give either side six points from their opening two matches and a significant advantage in the qualification race heading into the November qualifiers.
Head-to-head record: Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria
Nigeria have a strong overall record against Guinea-Bissau, but the most recent qualifying meeting between the two countries should serve as a warning for Chelle’s team.
The Djurtus stunned Nigeria 1-0 in Abuja during the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, with Mama Baldé scoring the only goal.
The Super Eagles responded by winning the return fixture 1-0 in Bissau three days later, meaning the Green and Whites have previously demonstrated that they can win at the Estádio 24 de Setembro, but Guinea-Bissau have also shown that they can frustrate the three-time African champions.
Mama Baldé is particularly worth watching after scoring against Tanzania and having previously scored the winning goal against Nigeria in Abuja.
Over the past four meetings between both sides, Nigeria have won three, while the Wild Dogs have just one victory.
All but one of those games ended in a 2-0 scoreline (Nigeria's win in 2022). Since then, the scoreline has been 1-0, highlighting that this fixture has always been a low-scoring affair.
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Super Eagles team news
Nigeria remain without Victor Osimhen, who was ruled out of both September qualifiers because of a muscle injury.
The absence of the Galatasaray striker means Chelle must once again find a solution at centre-forward, with George Ilenikhena starting against Madagascar and scoring on his senior international debut.
However, there is now uncertainty surrounding the youngster ahead of Tuesday’s game. Ilenikhena and Akor Adams trained separately in Uyo on Saturday, meaning both forwards are facing a fitness race ahead of the Guinea-Bissau clash.
The situation is significant because Adams started alongside Ilenikhena against Madagascar, while Nigeria also have Tolu Arokodare and Taiwo Awoniyi available as alternative attacking options.
Moses Usor has also given Chelle another option after making an immediate impact against Madagascar. The forward came off the bench to score Nigeria’s winning goal and could now be considered for a starting role.
Maduka Okoye is another player who could be considered. The Udinese goalkeeper was on the bench against Madagascar after arriving late to the Super Eagles camp, while Stanley Nwabali started and produced an important save during the 2-1 victory.
Chelle could decide to retain Nwabali or rotate his goalkeeper, but no official change has been confirmed yet.
Guinea-Bissau team news
Guinea-Bissau enter the game with confidence after their impressive victory over Tanzania. Franculino Djú and Mama Baldé scored in the opening fixture, while Beto also played an important role in the victory.
The hosts will be hoping their attacking players can reproduce that performance against Nigeria.
The Djurtus have also been boosted by their recent competitive record against the Super Eagles, particularly their 1-0 victory in Abuja during the 2023 AFCON qualifiers.
However, they will need to produce another disciplined performance against a Nigeria side with considerably more attacking options.
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Match details
- Fixture: Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria
- Competition: 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers – Group L
- Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2026
- Venue: Estádio 24 de Setembro, Bissau
- Capacity: 15,000
- Kick-off: 4:00pm GMT / 5:00pm Nigerian time
Possible Lineups
Guinea-Bissau: Embadje; Encada, Sangante, Rofino, Simao; Dalcio, Dju, Semedo; Mama Baldé, Renato Nhaga, Beto.
Nigeria: Stanley Nwabali; Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Bruno Onyemaechi; Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi; Moses Usor, Ademola Lookman, Moses Simon; George Ilenikhena.
The lineups remain subject to Chelle’s final tactical decisions, particularly after the coach suggested Nigeria could alter their system for a Guinea-Bissau side with different strengths from Madagascar.
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Prediction: Guinea-Bissau 1-2 Super Eagles
This is likely to be a considerably tougher examination for Nigeria than the Madagascar game.
Guinea-Bissau have already demonstrated that they can win away from home, while their 2-0 victory over Tanzania means they will approach Tuesday’s encounter with confidence.
Nigeria, however, have the greater depth and individual quality, particularly if Chelle can find the right attacking combination.
The uncertainty surrounding Ilenikhena and Akor Adams could influence the final team selection, but the Super Eagles still have several attacking alternatives available.
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