Nigeria Super Eagles football players pose together in white and green kits with one goalkeeper in blue, standing arm-in-arm in a rainy stadium before a match
Super Eagles players  line up against Madagascar 


Former Super Eagles midfielder Garba Lawal has strongly criticised Nigeria’s national team following their 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

The result left the hosts top of Group L with six points, while Nigeria sat second on three points after an earlier win over Madagascar.

Lawal, speaking after the heavy loss, dismissed reports that some players, including Ola Aina and Samuel Chukwueze, had withdrawn due to concerns over the pitch condition. “These boys don’t know what they are doing, they can’t be serious,” he said. “Which pitch in Africa is good?” 

He added that if he were coach he would drop many of the current squad for the next matches, arguing that players must be prepared to compete under difficult conditions rather than seek excuses.

The defeat marked coach Eric Chelle’s first loss since taking charge and represented Nigeria’s heaviest competitive reverse in recent AFCON qualifying history. 

Guinea-Bissau had already beaten Tanzania 2-0 in their opening fixture and now hold a three-point lead. Nigeria’s next fixtures are scheduled against Tanzania in November, with only one automatic qualification place available from the group alongside the co-hosts.