Baciro Cande, the Guinea Bissau national team coach, has acknowledged his team’s good fortune after their crucial 1-0 win over the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the AFCON 2023 qualifier.
Despite his team sitting 83 places below Nigeria in the FIFA rankings, they leapfrogged their hosts to top their AFCON qualifying group with seven points from three games. However, Cande believed that his team needed luck to secure the victory.
Troyes forward Mama Samba Balde scored the decisive goal on the cusp of the half-hour mark, ending Nigeria’s 19-game unbeaten run in AFCON qualifiers.
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After the game, Cande praised the Super Eagles’ display and put his side’s victory down to luck.
“It is not easy, Nigeria have the ball and a lot of chance[s] to score, but Guinea Bissau have the luck today, and we win 1-0,” he said.
With the sides set to meet again in three days, the theory of luck will be tested again, and it remains to be seen how important a role it has played in the fixture compared to preparation and tactics.