Coach Eric Chelle has insisted that the quest for the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2027 AFCON has not ended even after they lost 3-0 to Guinea Bissau.
The Super Eagles are in Group L, which has AFCON co-hosts Tanzania and as a result only one team will now advance to the tournament proper next year.
They are second in the standings with three points, three points behind leaders Guinea Bissau with four rounds of matches still to be played.
“This is not the end, we have lots of games to play,” Eric Chelle declared in a post-match briefing
“We have two games against Tanzania in November, they are very important games, we have to win both.
“Also Guinea Bissau will come down to Uyo and we have to put them in the same conditions we found ourselves here (in Guinea Bissau).
“In four games, a lot of things can happen, but the situation is not very, very good.”
He said to remains confident about his team even after a bad day in the office in Bissau.
“I am very confident about my team, but today was not a good day for us,” he admitted.
“This is the first time I see my team like that and now we have to go forward.”
Eric Chelle said Guinea Bissau were the better team on the day.
“They were more aggressive than us, more motivated. We never found a solution,” he conceded.
“But the conditions were not good, they are used to their pitch and for us this was the first time (to play on it) and it was very, very bad.
“The weather was very hot too.”
