Former Nigeria international, Victor Ikpeba has revealed who should be blamed for the goals conceded by the Super Eagles following their 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The former striker defended goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali against criticism while blaming the defenders, especially for Guinea-Bissau’s second goal.
Franculino opened the scoring after 15 minutes, while Mama Baldé extended the Djurtus’ advantage midway through the second half.
Álvaro Djaló secured a notable victory with a stoppage-time goal in the fifth minute of added time.
Baldé demonstrated impressive pace and strength to overcome Bright Osayi-Samuel before executing a refined finish past Nwabali to increase Guinea-Bissau’s lead in the 66th minute.
In response to the Guinea-Bissau captain’s goal, Ikpeba recognised the quality of the finish and stated that Nwabali had limited options to prevent it.
He told SuperSport: “They possessed the momentum. What an excellent placement. Technically superior goal; it appears straightforward on television. Observe it. There was nothing Nwabali could have done. It struck the post and went in. Thus, he understood where he intended to direct it.
“Defensively, we didn’t defend well. If you don’t defend well in this type of game and you qualify for the AFCON, defensively, we were poor.”
Ikpeba emphasised that the Super Eagles’ inability to respond promptly after losing possession was a significant factor in the third goal.
“They recognised that we were inadequate defensively. When we lose the ball, they are not marking the striker or the number 20. Remarkably straightforward.
“For the first goal, they did not mark the striker. We lack marking players, so we were penalised. You cannot hold Nwabali responsible for the third goal,” he said.
Currently positioned second in Group L of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers with three points, Nigeria will face Tanzania in a home-and-away, two-legged fixture in November.