By Yusuf Mutiu Olaitan
As the Super Eagles of Nigeria battle the Djurtus of Guinea Bissay later today in their last match in Group A of AFCON 2024, here are the key highlights of both teams and it’s brought to you by Ravens NG sports head Yusuf Mutiu Olaitan, also known as Young Sturaro.
Baciro Cande Guinea Bissau side goes into the match against Jose Peseiro’s Super Eagles to play for the honor. The match becomes a dead robber encounter owing to the fact that Guinea Bissau failed to win a single match from their first two matches of the group, thanks to a 2-0 loss to host Cote d’Ivoire in the first match and a 4-2 defeat in the hands of Equatorial Guinea, leaving the Djurtus as the only team in Group without a win and unfortunately without a point after the second round of matches.
Incidentally, Nigeria and Guinea Bissau have scored the same number of goals (2) at AFCON 2024, but the Djurtus have conceded 6 goals, five more than the Super Eagles, who have conceded 1 goal.
Implications of a Super Eagles win against Guinea Bissau?
As it stands, a Nigeria win will take them to 7 points and will automatically see them through to the next round, whatever the result between Cote d’Ivoire vs Equatorial Guinea is. A Nigeria win will secure the top spot of Group A if Equatorial Guinea fails to defeat The Elephant of Cote d’Ivoire. A Super Eagles win will also mean Guinea Bissau will leave the AFCON with no points.
Implications of a Djurtus win against Nigeria?
A win against Guinea Bissau will have no serious impact on the team other than the pride and honor amongst other African countries unless Cote D’ivoire loses scandalously to Equatorial Guinea, which will put the Djurtus on the same point as the host and might put them on the contest to qualify as the best loser.
A Guinea Bissau win also means the Super Eagles can’t finish as first in Group A if Equatorial Guinea avoids a defeat against Cote d’Ivoire or if the Elephant beats Equatorial Guinea.
Implications of a Super Eagles vs Djurtus draw?
For Guinea Bissau, it means they will exist in the AFCON at the group stage four times consecutively, a tale that started in 2017 to 2019, 2021, and 2023.
For Super Eagles, a draw will take them to 5 points, and that means the three times African Champions will automatically qualify for the knockout stage, whatever the result of the encounter between Cote d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea. A draw also means the Super Eagles can’t win the group again but can only finish, at best, runners-up of the group!
Guinea Bissau’s best records at AFCON:
Group stage exit three times: 2017, 2019 and 2021.
Nigeria’s best records at AFCON:
Three times winners: 1980, 1994, and 2013.
Players to watch for Guinea Bissau:
Jonas Mendes, captain and Nando Co Guinea Bissau all-time leading goal scorer with 9 goals.
Players to watch for Nigeria:
Victor Osimhen is one of the most expensive football players in the history of Africa and the current best player on the continent who currently plays his trade in Italy with Napoli. Stanley Nwabali has also come in as a good performer, giving a fresh breath to Nigerians after some atrocious displays from various goalkeepers in goal for the Super Eagles since the exit of legendary Vincent Enyeama from the Super Eagles.
The encounter between Nigeria and Guinea Bissau kicks off at exactly 6 pm Nigerian time at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Cote d’Ivoire.
