Emiliano Té: 3-0 Win Over Nigeria Doesn’t Guarantee Guinea-Bissau AFCON Qualification

Guinea-Bissau head coach Emiliano Té has warned that Tuesday’s emphatic 3-0 victory over Nigeria does not guarantee the Djurtus a place at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Guinea-Bissau produced a commanding display at the 24 de Setembro Stadium to record their second consecutive victory in Group L, with Franculino Dju, Mama Baldé and Álvaro Djaló getting the goals.

Despite the impressive result against the Super Eagles, Té insisted that qualification remains a long-term objective and that the Djurtus must maintain their progress in the remaining matches.

‘It’s a journey to reach the African Cup of Nations. The victory against Nigeria demonstrates that the national team is doing well and will continue to evolve in the next commitments,’ Té said at his post-match press conference.

The Guinea-Bissau coach revealed that his main task before the game was to instil courage and determination in his players ahead of the clash with the three-time African champions.

According to Té, his players responded to the challenge and were not intimidated by Nigeria’s reputation.

‘Each game has its story. It is necessary to play tactical football, create better game opportunities and always believe that it is possible to do more and better, regardless of the opponent,’ he said.

Franculino put the hosts ahead in the 15th minute before Baldé doubled their advantage in the 66th minute. Djaló then completed the scoring in added time to hand the Djurtus their biggest win over Nigeria.

Speaking on behalf of the players, striker Norberto Bercique Gomes Betuncal, better known as Beto, said the team was delighted with the victory and believed their performance was an improvement on their opening game against Tanzania.

‘We are very happy with the victory. We played better than we did against Tanzania. We were more cohesive and stronger,’ Beto said.

However, the striker echoed his coach’s warning that the victory had not secured qualification for Guinea-Bissau.

‘We still have several games to play. We need to continue to play well and win to achieve our goals,’ he said.