The Super Eagles of Nigeria are in high spirits and fully focused on Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying clash against Guinea-Bissau, according to Ebidowei Oweifie, Special Assistant to the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade.
Oweifie, who is part of the Nigerian delegation in Bissau made this known while speaking in an interview with News Central, offering an insight into the atmosphere within the Super Eagles camp ahead of the fixture.
Speaking on the team’s preparations ahead of the crucial Group L encounter, he stressed that the atmosphere around the Super Eagles camp remains positive as the players prepare for another demanding assignment.
“The bottom line of the matter is the boys are in high spirits,” Oweifie said, while deliberately declining to disclose details that could give the opponents an advantage. He explained that some of the players whose fitness had been discussed by Head Coach Éric Chelle had participated in a light training session, with their final availability expected to depend on late fitness assessments.
Oweifie’s cautious approach reflects the importance of maintaining tactical confidentiality ahead of the encounter, particularly as Nigeria prepare to face a Guinea-Bissau side that also opened its qualifying campaign with a victory. “Let us rely only on what the manager said during his press briefing,” he said, underscoring the need to leave questions surrounding player availability to the technical team.
The Super Eagles arrive in Bissau on the back of a hard-fought 2–1 comeback victory over Madagascar in Uyo. Nigeria fell behind in the first half before debutants George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor scored to turn the game around and give Éric Chelle’s side three points in their opening Group L fixture.
Guinea-Bissau, however, also began the qualifying campaign on a winning note, defeating Tanzania 2–0. The result has added significance to Tuesday’s encounter, with both teams seeking another positive result as the group campaign gathers momentum.
Despite the relatively short turnaround from the Madagascar fixture, the Nigerian camp has maintained a positive atmosphere. The Super Eagles travelled to Bissau on Sunday and subsequently held their official training session at the Estádio 24 de Setembro on Monday evening, with all 24 invited players involved in the session, according to the Nigeria Football Federation.
The encounter at the Estádio 24 de Setembro represents another important step in Nigeria’s early 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign. But with the Super Eagles reportedly in high spirits and fully engaged in preparations, Oweifie’s message from inside the camp is clear: the focus is firmly on the task ahead, with the players determined to translate their positive camp atmosphere into another strong performance on the pitch.
