Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi says Nigeria will approach Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea-Bissau with one clear objective — secure victory and send an early message about the team’s ambitions in Group L.
The Super Eagles arrived in Bissau with confidence following their 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in Uyo, but face a Wild Dogs side equally encouraged after opening their campaign with a 2-0 win over Tanzania.
For Ndidi, that makes the encounter an important early examination of Nigeria’s determination to take control of their qualification journey.
“We need this win to send a strong message that we are ready to compete,” Ndidi said ahead of the encounter.
The Beşiktaş midfielder accepts that Guinea-Bissau will provide a difficult examination, particularly on home soil, but insists the Super Eagles are prepared to give everything required to secure maximum points.
“We know it is going to be a tough game, but we are ready to give our all,” the captain added.
Nigeria trained at the Estádio Nacional 24 de Setembro on Monday evening, with all 24 players taking part despite head coach Eric Chelle revealing minor fitness and illness concerns within the squad. The session lasted about 65 minutes as the Eagles familiarised themselves with the match venue.
Recent history also gives Ndidi and his teammates reason to respect their opponents. Guinea-Bissau stunned Nigeria 1-0 in Abuja in March 2023, before the Super Eagles responded with a 1-0 victory in Bissau three days later.
Nigeria again defeated the Wild Dogs at the 2023 AFCON finals in Côte d’Ivoire, edging the contest 1-0 in Abidjan.
Tuesday’s fixture therefore offers another opportunity for the Super Eagles to assert themselves against familiar opposition, but Ndidi wants the significance to extend beyond simply maintaining Nigeria’s favourable head-to-head record.
Having already collected three points against Madagascar, another victory would give Chelle’s men a perfect six points from their opening two qualifiers.
For the captain, that is the statement Nigeria must make: go into Bissau, embrace the difficult contest and show through the result that the Super Eagles are serious about taking command of their AFCON qualification campaign.
