25th March, 2023
By Victor Okoye
Jorge Nogueira, Captain of Guinea Bissau, has mocked Nigeria’s senior football team, the Super Eagles for failing to defeat his team despite parading ‘big names’ in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier played at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja on Friday.
The Wild Dogs of Guinea Bissau had stunned the Super Eagles 1-0 in the match to the horror of home fans.
But Nogueira told newsmen during a post-match conference that his team members were able to beat the Super Eagles because they did not allow the ‘big names’ in the squad to intimidate them on the pitch.
He added that the Wild Dogs went into the game with the mentally that names don’t play football.
“First and foremost, I will like to dedicate this victory to the good people of Guinea Bissau.
“We respect all Nigerian players, but the truth is that names don’t play on the pitch.
“So, they (Super Eagles) tried to do everything to break the will and spirit of our team as they created a lot of scoring opportunities, but our defence was up to the task.
“We remained strong, resolute and were optimistic that we could cause an upset here in Abuja,” he said.
The captain added that the quality of the pitch complicated issues for his team as it was very tough to play on and curtail the incessant attacks from the Super Eagles.
The Wild Dogs play hosts to the Super Eagles in the reverse fixture of the qualifiers in Marrakech, Morocco, on Monday.
Guinea Bissau have Morocco as home venue for now as they do not have a Confederation of African Football (CAF)-approved playing turf.
They 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.
(NAN)