The Super Eagles of Nigeria are slated to tackle Guinea-Bissau in their match-day three clash of their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign
Guinea-Bissau player, Carlos Mane, formerly coached by Jose Peseiro, expressed the team's determination to secure a victory against the Super Eagles in their upcoming African Cup of Nations Group A last match, Soccernet.ng reports.
In a rematch scenario, Guinea-Bissau previously defeated Nigeria during the AFCON qualifier at home, only to face a reversal of fortunes when Nigeria beat them on neutral ground a week later.
Mane, a Süper Lig winger, asserted that they intend to make the upcoming match more challenging for the Super Eagles, as he reveals their readiness for the confrontation.
Guinea-Bissau has yet to secure a win in the 34th edition of the AFCON tournament but remains optimistic about gaining valuable points against Nigeria.
Reflecting on their previous encounters, Mane acknowledged the difficulty of the first match, where they played well but suffered a loss.
In the second game, despite playing only 10 minutes, Mane gave his maximum effort to help the team, but they faced another defeat.
Mane, in an interview witnessed by Soccernet.ng, highlighted the team's focus on the upcoming match against Nigeria, emphasizing their determination to fight for a positive result.
“The first match was a difficult one for us as a team. We played good football, and we tried to score, but we lost the match. [In] the second game, I played 10 minutes, and in these 10 minutes, I gave my maximum to help the team, but we lost the game, and now our focus is against Nigeria.
“We have zero points in this competition, but we have to fight to get a good result. We will go into the game with a strong mentality. We will try to win.” he said.
Familiar with the Nigerian team, Mane acknowledged their strength, coached by Jose Peseiro, who was Mane's coach at Sporting Lisbon for four years.
He expressed confidence in Guinea-Bissau's quality players and their aim to secure at least a point against Nigeria.
He added: “We know Nigeria very well. They have a strong team with a good coach, Jose Peseiro, he was my coach at Sporting Lisbon for four years. We also have quality players, and we will try to get a point against Nigeria,”
Jose Peseiro's former boy aims for redemption in Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria clash
“The first match was a difficult one for us as a team. We played good football, and we tried to score, but we lost the match. [In] the second game, I played 10 minutes, and in these 10 minutes, I… pic.twitter.com/dpCHIer72y
— Ayomide Oguntimehin (@ayo_oguntimehin) January 22, 2024
The 2013 AFCON champions will face Guinea-Bissau at the Stade Félix-Houphouët-Boigny by 18:00 p.m. Nigerian time.
