The Guinea-Bissau national football team, known as Seleção nacional de futebol da Guiné-Bissau in Portuguese, represents Guinea-Bissau in men's international association football. It is controlled by the Football Federation of Guinea-Bissau.
While the team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup, they have made four appearances in the Africa Cup of Nations, debuting in 2017. This article delves into the history of Guinea-Bissau's football journey, including their encounters with the Nigerian national team.
Early World Cup Qualification Attempts
Guinea-Bissau entered their first FIFA World Cup qualification campaign with the goal of reaching the 1998 World Cup in France. The first round of African qualification required them to play Guinea in a two-legged match.
The first leg was held at home in the Estadio 24 de Setembro in Bissau on June 1, 1996, with an attendance of 15,000. Guinea-Bissau took a 2-0 lead at half-time after goals from Pereira Tavares in the 11th and 36th minutes. Guinea's Titi Camara equalized with a brace in the 53rd and 54th minutes. Co Cipriano secured a 3-2 victory for Guinea-Bissau with a 60th-minute penalty. The away leg was held at the Stade du 28 Septembre in Conakry.
Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualification
Guinea-Bissau first participated in AFCON qualification in 1994 where they defeated Cape Verde over three legs, but failed to register a single point in the second round as their draw against Togo was annulled after Togo withdrew from the competition. Guinea-Bissau next entered qualification in 2006 where they lost 4-1 to Mali national football team and were again banned in 2008 for unpaid debts to CAF. In 2012 they secured a single win (1-0 against Kenya) and five losses to finish last in Group J. The following year they were eliminated 2-0 by Cameroon.
Read also: Traveler's Guide: Guinea Time
For the 2017 qualifiers, Guinea-Bissau was drawn from Pot 4 into Group E and, despite being the lowest ranked nation in their group, achieved ten points and qualified for the 2017 tournament ahead of Congo, Zambia and Kenya. In their African Cup of Nations debut, Guinea-Bissau drew 1-1 with Gabon with a 91st-minute equaliser by Juary Soares. Guinea-Bissau then also won their Group in the 2019 qualifiers to reach a second straight Finals. On March 30, 2021, Guinea-Bissau went into their final qualifying match against Congo, needing a victory to qualify.
Guinea-Bissau v Nigeria | AFCON 2023 | Match Highlights
AFCON 2022: Guinea-Bissau vs. Nigeria
In the 2022 AFCON, Nigeria secured a 2-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau in their final Group D match. The goals came from Sadiq Umar and a later goal confirmed after a VAR review. The Super Eagles finished the group stage with maximum points, marking their first time achieving this since 2006.
Despite Guinea-Bissau's organized defense, they struggled to create significant attacking threats. Nigeria's performance showcased their superior quality, with players from the English Premier League making a notable impact.
Match Highlights:
- Sadiq Umar opened the scoring for Nigeria.
- A second Nigerian goal was initially disallowed but later confirmed by VAR.
- Guinea-Bissau made substitutions, bringing in Ambri for Silva and Mendy for Intima.
Throughout the match, Nigeria maintained a significant possession advantage, controlling 69% of the ball compared to Guinea-Bissau's 31%. Despite the physical nature of the game, there were relatively few fouls. Chidera Ejuke stood out as one of Nigeria's most inventive players.
Key Moments:
- Umar Sadiq's goal after receiving a perfect pass.
- Guinea-Bissau's Moreto Cassama's long-range shot that sailed high over the bar.
Nigeria's Perspective
Nigeria entered the match as strong favorites, with Opta predicting a 61.2% chance of victory. Manager Jose Peseiro emphasized the importance of taking the game seriously, acknowledging Guinea-Bissau's quality and potential to surprise.
Read also: The Gulf of Guinea's Vibrant Capital
"Bissau is a good team with quality players, we cannot underestimate them," he said. "They play good football, and they can beat any team, but we know our responsibility, and that must show on the field of play with better performance."
Peseiro also expressed his desire to secure the top spot in Group B, highlighting the team's ambition to improve their performance in each match.
Team News and Lineups (AFCON 2023)
In a later encounter, here were the starting lineups for both teams:
- Guinea-Bissau: Mendes, Mendes, Ie, Sangante, Nanu, Bikel, Nito, Quizera, Dalcio, Gomes, Gano.
- Nigeria: Nwabali; Omeruo, Ajayi, Bassey; Aina, Onyeka, Aribo, Osayi-Samuel; Lookman, Chukwueze, Osimhen.
Nigeria made four changes from their previous victory against Ivory Coast, with Kenneth Omeruo, Joe Aribo, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Moses Simon coming into the side. William Troost-Ekong, Alex Iwobi, Zaidu Sanusi, and Ademola Lookman were the players to drop out.
Historical Stats
Nigeria's AFCON history is rich, with the match against Guinea-Bissau marking their 100th game in the competition. Only Egypt, Ghana, and Ivory Coast have reached this milestone. Here are the stats from Nigeria's first 99 AFCON games:
Read also: Head-to-Head: Guinea vs Uganda
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Matches | 99 |
| Wins | 55 |
| Draws | 22 |
| Defeats | 22 |
| Goals Scored | 139 |
| Goals Conceded | 92 |
