Super Eagles raise concerns over Guinea-Bissau pitch ahead of qualifier

The condition of the pitch at Estádio 24 de Setembro has emerged as a major concern for the Super Eagles ahead of their AFCON 2027 qualifier against Guinea-Bissau.

Nigeria arrived in Bissau after opening their qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Madagascar in Uyo, putting them level on points with Guinea-Bissau, who also won their first match.

Despite concerns about the playing surface, the mood around the Nigerian camp remains positive, according to Andrew Randa, who is part of the NFF media delegation in Bissau.

Players remain relaxed despite pitch concerns

Randa told Soccernet that the players used their training session to assess the surface and appeared comfortable ahead of Tuesday’s encounter.

“Everybody looks relaxed,” Randa said. “There was a training session yesterday, about one hour, where the players felt out the pitch. You could see they were much more relaxed, they were talking about the pitch and about some of the players who played in Nigeria, talking about the kind of pitches they played on back in the day, and how they think that experience will help them today.”

However, the surface remains a talking point within the camp, with videos showing its condition circulating on social media.

Randa also claimed that some Guinea-Bissau players had expressed concerns about the pitch and would have preferred the fixture to be played in Morocco.

“Some of the Guinea-Bissau players actually complained about the pitch too, and some said they would have preferred to play in Morocco,” he said.

Chelle admits pitch could influence game plan

The condition of the surface could also influence Nigeria’s tactical approach, with head coach Eric Chelle reportedly taking it into consideration.

“The pitch isn’t exactly what it should be, and there are concerns among the players. But again, they’re going to give their best, because they know they need to build on the three points they got against Madagascar. That point is non-negotiable, it’s the utmost thing on their minds right now.”

Randa added that Chelle had acknowledged the potential impact of the playing surface.

“Even Eric Chelle said the pitch will determine what kind of game plan he puts out today. So the pitch is a very big concern, and personally I don’t know how Guinea-Bissau were able to pull this off. But no excuses, both teams play on the same pitch, and I hope Nigeria gets the three points.”

There are also doubts over the availability of VAR for the qualifier. Randa said he did not expect the technology to be used, meaning contentious decisions would likely be left to the on-field officials.

Nigeria will face Guinea-Bissau at 16:00 GMT (17:00 WAT) on Tuesday, September 29, with the match taking place at Estádio 24 de Setembro in Bissau. Unlike Nigeria’s opening home fixture in Uyo, supporters are expected to enter the stadium free of charge.