TheCable

Baciro Cande, head coach of Guinea Bissau, says he was a “little bit surprised” by his country’s first-ever win over the Super Eagles.

The Eagles fell to a shock 1-0 defeat in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier on Saturday, thanks to a first half strike from Mama Balde.

The Djutus fended off a second half onslaught to dislodge the Eagles at the top of the group and Cande was surprised amidst the elation during the post-match interview.

“We are indeed very happy with the win as this is a very important result for my team,” he said.

“Of course, I am a little bit surprised with what we achieved here in Abuja as it is not an easy feat against a big footballing nation with good top players like Nigeria.

“But I must give credit to my boys as their hard work in training paid off and it feels really good to have achieved this victory against an African giant.”

Cande, who is in his second spell as head coach, said both luck and understanding of the Eagles’ style of play helped them achieve the victory.

“We realised that Nigeria is a team which love to dominate possession as was evident in the match and created a lot of chances to score,” he said.

“But we were able to manage the game and with a little bit of luck on our side, we won the match.

“Our goal is now to focus and decide what our strategy is for the next game.”

‘NAMES DON’T PLAY ON THE PITCH’

Jorge Nogueira, Guinea Bissau captain, hailed his teammates’ mental strength in claiming victory against a team filled with world-class names.

Nogueira, who complained about the state of the MKO Abiola Stadium, said the calibre of players Super Eagles paraded did not scare his team.

“First and foremost, I will like to dedicate this victory to the good people of Guinea Bissau,” he said.

“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.”

Guinea Bissau will host the Super Eagles on matchday four in Marrakech, Morocco on Wednesday.