AFCON 2027 qualifiers: Oladimeji Lawal slams Nigeria’s passive display after Guinea-Bissau defeat

Former Nigeria international Oladimeji Lawal has expressed disappointment with the Super Eagles’ performance following their 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

Nigeria endured a difficult evening as the Djurtus took control of the contest and punished Eric Chelle’s side with three goals. Franculino Dju opened the scoring before Mama Balde and Alvaro Djalo completed a convincing victory for the hosts.

The defeat leaves Nigeria three points behind Guinea-Bissau in Group L after two qualifying matches, increasing the pressure on the Super Eagles to respond in their upcoming fixtures.

Lawal was particularly critical of Nigeria’s approach, arguing that the team failed to show enough ambition from the start and allowed Guinea-Bissau to dictate the game.

‘We allowed them to dominate’

“I expected the team to take the game straight to their hosts, but we allowed them to dominate and created very few chances to threaten their goalkeeper,” he told Complesports.

The former international believes Nigeria should have been more aggressive in their attempt to take control of the encounter, especially against a Guinea-Bissau side that eventually established a commanding advantage.

Rather than consistently testing the hosts’ defence, the Super Eagles struggled to create clear-cut opportunities and found themselves chasing the game for long periods.

The result represents a major setback for Chelle, who will now have to address Nigeria’s shortcomings before the next round of qualifying fixtures. The Super Eagles began their campaign with expectations of competing for top spot, but the heavy defeat has left them with ground to recover.

Lawal remains confident of qualification

Despite his frustration, Lawal has urged Nigerians not to panic, insisting the defeat does not define the entire qualifying campaign.

“I really feel disappointed with this result, but that is not the end of the world because there are still many matches to play in the group. I am still optimistic the Super Eagles will top the group.”

Nigeria will now need a strong response in their remaining Group L matches to close the gap on Guinea-Bissau and keep their qualification hopes firmly on track.

For Lawal, the immediate priority is for Chelle’s team to rediscover the attacking confidence and intensity that were missing in the defeat, while turning their remaining fixtures into opportunities to reclaim control of the group.