Chukwuma Akuneto, Manchester City U-17s head coach, says inadequate planning and preparation were behind the Super Eagles’ 3-0 defeat by Guinea-Bissau in Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying Group L Matchday 2 fixture in Bissau.
The former Oldham Athletic U-19s head coach also warned that the result had placed Nigeria’s prospects of reaching the 2027 AFCON in serious danger, with only one team from the group guaranteed qualification.
“We simply did not plan and prepare effectively for the game and it showed in what we were able to deliver as a team on the maximum,” Akuneto told Completesports.com.
“The manner in which we conceded defeat is worrying, going forward.”
Nigeria’s head coach Eric Chelle had pointed to the poor condition of the playing surface at the 20,000-capacity Estadio Nacional 24 de Setembro and the inclement weather as contributing factors in the heavy loss.
Akuneto rejected that explanation, arguing that both the pitch and the conditions should have been assessed before the team arrived for the match.
“Part of our preparation is to know the state of the surface you are going to play on and plan accordingly with tactics and personnel,” he said.
“The pitch having an effect on the game is a complete lack of good management in my own opinion.”
Nigeria under pressure in Group L
The defeat leaves the Super Eagles second in Group L on three points, three behind leaders Guinea-Bissau.
Guinea-Bissau moved to six points after beginning their campaign with a 2-0 away victory over Tanzania’s Taifa Stars in the opening matchday.
Akuneto described Nigeria’s current position as equivalent to “treading on a keg of gunpowder”, warning that failure to qualify for the 2027 AFCON was now a genuine possibility.
He said the importance of the remaining matches meant the Super Eagles would need to improve their attention to detail.
“I hope we qualify, but until we start navigating our games with a little bit more attention to details, (big and small), we might get stuck at the end of the day,” he concluded.