Super Eagles striker Terem Moffi is confident the three-time African champions will bounce back and get their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign back on track when they face Guinea-Bissau in the second leg of their Group A double-header at the Estadio 24 de Setembro on Monday (today), The PUNCH reports.
The three-time African champions were stunned in Abuja last Friday as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to the Wild Dogs courtesy of a Mama Balde 29th minute strike.
The Eagles kicked off their quest for a place at next year’s AFCON last June, managing a laboured 2-1 home win over Sierra Leone, before a 10-0 dismantling of Sao Tome and Principe in Morocco.
However, Friday’s defeat against the Djurtus was a new low for the Eagles and coach Jose Peseiro, who so far has been underwhelming since taking over the Eagles job last May.
On their part, Guinea-Bissau started the AFCON qualifiers with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Sao Tome and Principe in June 2022, when they hit four second-half goals following a 1-1 stalemate at the interval.
Four days later they were held 2-2 by Sierra Leone at the Stade General Lansana Conte in Conakry, Guinea.
Still unbeaten during the qualifiers, Baciro Cande’s side will be looking to complete an impressive group double over Nigeria, while Peseiro, whose task remains to guide the Eagles to a third consecutive AFCON appearance, will hope to put an end to the country’s four consecutive defeats in all competitions.
The Eagles have now lost each of their last four matches across all competitions, suffering defeats against Algeria, Costa Rica, Portugal and most-recently Guinea-Bissau.
It is the first time in 42 years that the Nigerians had lost four matches in a row.
Eagles striker Moffi was an unused substitute in Friday’s defeat, but the OGC Nice man scored a brace in the 10-0 mauling of Sao Tome and Principe in the Eagles second qualifier last year.
Speaking ahead of the game in Bissau, Moffi, who has featured nine times for the national team and registered three goals, hopes to fire the Eagles to victory today, if he gets the nod from coach Jose Peseiro.
“Yes, I scored two goals against Sao Tome, but this is in the past now, we are all looking forward to the game in Bissau on Monday (today) and hopefully I can get some game time and try to help the team win the game and score goals as well, “ Moffi told The PUNCH.
Djurtus currently top Group A with seven points, ahead of Nigeria, who are second with six points. Sierra Leone are third with five points after their 2-0 win over Sao Tome and Principe on Sunday. Bottom-place Sao Tome have one point.
A win for Nigeria will take them to nine points and reclaim the top spot in Group A.
With three games to go, the Wild Dogs are looking to secure a fourth consecutive AFCON appearance since missing out in 2015.
