Guinea Bissau Head Coach, Baciro Cande, says the win against Nigeria in a matchday three Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier was a surprise and very important result for his team.
The Super Eagles on Friday lost 0-1 to Guinea Bissau in a 2023 AFCON qualifier, played at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
Cande, at a post-match conference, expressed delight at the victory, adding that it was not an easy feat against a continental football giant like Nigeria.
“We are indeed very happy with the win as this is a very important result for my team.
“Of course, I am a little bit surprised with what we achieved here in Abuja as it is not an easy feat against a big footballing nation with good top players like Nigeria.
“But I must give credit to my boys as their hard work in training paid off and it feels really good to have achieved this victory against an African giant,” he said.
On his tactics for the game, Cande said he wouldn’t give too much away or reveal his winning formula as his team were preparing ahead of the reverse fixture.
He, however, noted that football is universal, adding that his team had watched many videos of the Nigerian team as well as the players prior to the game.
“We realised that Nigeria is a team which love to dominate possession as was evident in the match and created a lot of chances to score.
“But we were able to manage the game and with a little bit of luck on our side, we won the match.
“Our goal is now to focus and decide what our strategy is for the next game,” he said.
Guinea Bissau currently top Group A of the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, with seven points from three matches, while Nigeria, with six points, drop to the second position.
The Leone Stars of Sierra Leone are in third position with two points, while Sao Tome and Principe, with one point sit at the bottom of the log.
