The body governing football in Africa, Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reportedly apologised to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over the poor condition of the pitch that they played in against Guinea-Bissau.
CAF confirmed the ban on Guinea-Bissau’s Estádio Nacional 24 de Setembro, where the Super Eagles suffered a 3-0 defeat in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The pitch came under scrutiny before and during the Group L encounter, with Nigeria coach Éric Chelle describing the playing surface as “very, very bad” while insisting that it was not an excuse for his team’s performance
According to reports, CAF has now barred the stadium from hosting further matches in the ongoing 2027 AFCON qualifying series. The decision follows concerns over whether the venue met the required standards for an international fixture.
The Super Eagles were beaten 3-0 by Guinea-Bissau, with Franculino Dju, Mama Baldé and Álvaro Djaló scoring for the hosts. The result left Guinea-Bissau top of Group L with six points, while Nigeria remained on three points. CAF’s own match report confirms the result and Guinea-Bissau’s strong start to the qualifying campaign.
The development comes after growing criticism of the conditions in Bissau. National Sports Commission chairman Shehu Dikko had also questioned how the stadium was approved to host the fixture, citing concerns about the playing surface.
Nigeria will now look to recover in their upcoming qualifiers, with the Super Eagles facing Tanzania twice in November.