Why CAF Could Punish Guinea-Bissau After 3-0 AFCON 2027 Qualifying Win Over Nigeria

• Guinea-Bissau beat Nigeria 3-0 in their 2027 AFCON qualifier at the Estádio 24 de Setembro in Bissau on September 29
• CAF has since reportedly apologised to the Nigeria Football Federation over the state of the playing surface at the Bissau venue
• The governing body has also banned the 24 de Setembro Stadium from hosting Guinea-Bissau's remaining AFCON 2027 qualifying fixtures

Guinea-Bissau faces CAF action after the governing body reportedly banned the Estádio 24 de Setembro from hosting further 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches, following the poor condition of the pitch during the Djurtus' 3-0 victory over Nigeria on 29 September.

Goals from Franculino Djú, Mama Baldé and Álvaro Djaló gave Guinea-Bissau a commanding win in Bissau, securing their second consecutive victory in Group L of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers, according to the Punch.

However, the condition of the playing surface drew significant attention after the result.

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Nigeria coach criticises pitch conditions

Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle made his frustration with the venue clear in his post-match remarks, stopping short of using it as an excuse for the defeat.

"This is not an excuse, but if you look at the conditions, they know their pitch. They usually play on that surface, but for us, it was the first time, and the pitch was very, very bad. The weather conditions were also very poor," Chelle said, as cited by The Guardian.

CAF has since reportedly issued an apology to the Nigeria Football Federation over the condition of the pitch, and the continental governing body has moved to ban the stadium from hosting Guinea-Bissau's remaining home fixtures in the qualifying campaign.

What does CAF's reported ban mean for Guinea-Bissau?

The reported ban does not affect the result of the 3-0 victory, which stands.

However, Guinea-Bissau will now need to identify an alternative venue that satisfies CAF's stadium approval requirements.

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Under CAF regulations, only facilities that have undergone inspection and received formal approval from the governing body are eligible to host official competition matches.

The development means the Djurtus could be forced to relocate their remaining home qualifiers to a neutral ground or a stadium in another country while they seek a compliant venue.

Guinea-Bissau's progress in Group L has been impressive, with the back-to-back victories demonstrating the team's competitive strength.

The venue situation, however, introduces a logistical challenge that could affect the team's home advantage for the rest of the qualification process.

CAF revokes Baba Yara Stadium approval

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that CAF has revoked the Baba Yara Sports Stadium’s approval to host international matches.

The decision followed the Black Stars’ 2024 encounter against Angola at the stadium on September 5, 2024.

Source: YEN.com.gh