Former Monaco Star Gives Verdict on Stanley Nwabali After Super Eagles’ 3–0 Defeat to Guinea-Bissau
- Former Monaco striker Victor Ikpeba pointed fingers at Nigeria's defence after the Super Eagles fell 3-0 to Guinea-Bissau in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers
- Ikpeba cleared goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali of blame, arguing the defenders failed to track attackers throughout the match
- Nigeria sit second in Group L with three points and face Tanzania in a home-and-away fixture in November
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Former Nigeria international Victor Ikpeba has placed the blame for the Super Eagles' 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau squarely on the team's defenders, shielding goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali from responsibility for the goals conceded in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.
The former Monaco striker shared his assessment on SuperSport following a night in which Guinea-Bissau dominated proceedings and left Nigeria's campaign in a difficult position.
Source: UGC
How Guinea-Bissau scored three times against Nwabali
Franculino broke the deadlock after 15 minutes to put the Djurtus ahead, CAF Online reports.
Guinea-Bissau captain Mama Baldé then doubled the lead in the 66th minute with a composed finish, using his pace and physical strength to get past Bright Osayi-Samuel before slotting the ball past Nwabali.
Álvaro Djaló sealed the result with a stoppage-time goal in the fifth minute of added time.
According to Daily Post, Ikpeba acknowledged the quality of Baldé's goal but maintained that it exposed a deeper defensive problem rather than a goalkeeping error.
"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," Ikpeba told SuperSport.
"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's verdict on Nigeria's defensive failures
Ikpeba went further in his analysis of the third goal, highlighting the failure to track runners as a recurring problem that Guinea-Bissau exploited with ease throughout the match.
"They recognised that we were inadequate defensively. When we lose the ball, they are not marking the striker or the number 20. Remarkably straightforward," he said.
The former Monaco forward also pointed to the opening goal as evidence of the same structural problem.
"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 added.
His comments reflect a broader concern about Nigeria's defensive organisation under the current setup, with the team failing to contain an opponent they were expected to handle comfortably.
What comes next for Nigeria
Despite the heavy defeat, Nigeria remain second in Group L of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers with three points.
As seen on Afrik-Foot, the Super Eagles will face Tanzania in a home-and-away, two-legged fixture in November, giving the team an opportunity to steady their campaign before it unravels further.
The result, however, has raised urgent questions about the team's defensive structure and whether the technical staff will make changes ahead of the November fixtures.
Ikpeba's public criticism adds pressure on the coaching setup to address the issues he identified before Nigeria's next qualifier.
Chelle sends message to Nigerians after defeat
In another development, Legit.ng reported about Eric Chelle’s response after Nigeria’s Super Eagles lost 3–0 to Guinea-Bissau in their 2027 AFCON qualifier.
Chelle apologised to Nigerian fans and accepted responsibility, while the defeat left Nigeria six points behind group leaders Guinea-Bissau.
Source: Legit.ng
