Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has urged his players to make a strong start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. The three-time African champions will begin their qualifying campaign with a double-header against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau this month. Nigeria will host the Barea of Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday before travelling to Bissau to face the Djurtus of Guinea-Bissau next Tuesday.
Chelle stressed the importance of determination and a positive start as the Super Eagles aim to secure qualification for the tournament. “We have to show everyone from Day One that we want it, and the only way to do that is to go for it with our hearts and refuse to slow down at any point. We must go for the points without any hesitation,” Chelle told thenff.com.
Friday’s clash with the Barea will evoke memories of some intriguing past encounters between the two countries at senior level. At this same stage of the AFCON qualification race 16 years ago, the Super Eagles defeated the Barea 2-0 in Calabar on 5 September 2010. A year later, in the return fixture in Antananarivo, the Eagles repeated the feat, securing another 2-0 victory.
However, on the final day of June 2019, the Barea produced one of the biggest upsets in AFCON history, stunning Nigeria with a 2-0 victory in a group-stage encounter in Alexandria.