Afcon 2024 qualifier witnessed perhaps its biggest upset, as Nigeria’s Super Eagles were humiliated at home by Guinea-Bissau. The Super Eagles, one of the traditional powerhouses of African football, suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Guinea Bissau in an African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier on Friday. The match which was played at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja, was expected to be a routine victory for the home side, who hammered Sao Tome and Principe 10-0 in their last group match. Nigeria, who have won the AFCON three times in the past, however, got stunned by the visitors in the 30th minute.
Nigeria coach Jose Paseiro, who got hired under controversial circumstances, will have the chance to repair the damage with a date with Sao Tome and Principe on Monday. The defeat leaves Nigeria 2nd on the table with 6 points after three games, having been leapfrogged by Guinea-Bissau who claimed the top spot with that shock win in Abuja.
Afcon 2024 Qualifier: Nigeria Not New On This Path
In the aftermath of the Afcon 2024 qualifiers defeat, it is important to remember that Nigeria has a history of self-inflicted wounds, with their most recent example being a coaching change in late 2021 that cost them a podium finish at the last AFCON and a ticket to the 2022 World Cup. In addition to this, they were required to pay former coach Gernot Rohr his full $45,000 monthly salary for the remaining year of his contract, which ended in December 2021, while taking on Jose Peseiro at nearly double the wages of $70,000 per month. Between June and December 2022, Nigeria spent $115,000 each month solely on coaching wages, resulting in a total of $805,000. Reports suggest that Peseiro has only been paid for three of those months.
Ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Guinea Bissau, Everton’s Alex Iwobi was selected for Nigeria. However, it was a controversial squad choice in many ways. Peseiro’s recent selection controversies had barely settled when it emerged that two of his coaches, former internationals Finidi George and Ike Shorunmu, had been replaced. Ajax star Finidi was replaced by Usman Abdallah, while Shorunmu’s position was taken by under-23 goalkeeping coach Olatunji Baruwa.
Despite this, NFF Communications Director Ademola Olajire quickly issued a statement refuting that the coaches had been sacked and claimed that it was a coaching rotation policy as part of the NFF’s cost-cutting measures. Olajire stated that “This rotation policy is only for matches. When there is a tournament, all of them will be with the team.” In response, Finidi expressed surprise at the decision but was willing to wait and see how things panned out during the next camp.
The Afcon 2024 qualifiers defeat remains one of the most infamous moments for Nigerian football. On home soil, the 2013 AFCON champions were shocked by a goal in the 30th minute, giving the visitors a famous victory. This win marked Guinea Bissau’s first-ever victory against the Super Eagles. Nigeria are now under pressure to beat Guinea-Bissau in the reverse fixture in a bid to save what is left of their pride. As for qualifying for Coted’Ivoire 2024 in the continental showpiece event, The Eagles look prime to book a spot to sly Nigeria’s flag in the West African country.
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