Eagles coach stays quiet on tactics for Guinea-Bissau

Super Eagles coach Éric Chelle has not said if he will keep the same formation when Nigeria plays Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Bissau, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

Chelle began Friday's 2-1 comeback win over Madagascar with a 4-4-2 formation but switched to 4-2-3-1 as the game went on. The Franco-Malian coach says he has not yet decided which system he will use against the Djurtus.

Nigeria had to fight back after Ehsan Kari scored with a header to give Madagascar the lead in the 16th minute. However, debutants George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor found the net to secure all three points for the Eagles.

Reflecting on the comeback, Chelle said he was pleased with how his players reacted after conceding early, though it was tough to break down Madagascar’s defense.

“I don’t think the first half was very bad. Like I said, we made one mistake, and after that, if you watch the game, you’ll see that we had five or six chances to score a goal. Sometimes football is like that,” Chelle told reporters after the match.

“When you play against a low block, it’s very difficult to score a goal. Sometimes you can become crazy and do a lot of things. You can start to play quickly, and it will be very difficult. I am happy they found a solution.”

Chelle, however, would not share his tactical plan for the second Group L match when asked if he would stick with the same system in Guinea-Bissau.

“Now we have to forget this game, analyse what we did. And after, we have a second game in Guinea-Bissau. This is not the same team. They have their strengths and weaknesses,” he said.

“I have to think what we will do in Guinea-Bissau. I cannot tell you whether we will play that system or not.”

“We have to go with our state of mind, and after we will play that game.”

Guinea-Bissau currently leads Group L after beating Tanzania 2-0 in their opening qualifier. Nigeria aims to get their second win in a row after their victory over Madagascar.