Bissau exposed the Super Eagles midfield. Tanzania is the chance to fix it

Three games, seven goals conceded, and not one clean sheet. That is the honest summary of the Super Eagles' September and October window, and it is why the conversation in every viewing centre has moved from the strikers to the midfield.

In Uyo on 25 September, Madagascar scored after 16 minutes before Nigeria recovered to win 2-1. In Bissau four days later, Franculino Djú scored after 15 minutes and Guinea-Bissau won 3-0. Then, in a friendly in Nizhny Novgorod on 6 October, Russia went 3-1 up before a late comeback earned a 3-3 draw.

It is tempting to blame the attack, especially with Victor Osimhen injured for the whole window. But look at how the goals actually came and the real problem sits further back, in the zone between Nigeria's midfield and their back four.

What happened in September

The window started well enough on the scoreboard. Nigeria were slow in the first half against Madagascar, who defended deep and broke quickly, and fell behind when the visitors exploited a poor offside line. Two debutants then rescued the night. George Ilenikhena equalised in first-half stoppage time from an Alex Iwobi pass. Moses Usor came on for Samuel Chukwueze after 61 minutes and scored the winner four minutes later, beating two defenders before finishing at the near post. Semi Ajayi was credited with the assist.

It was also a special night for Moses Simon, who came on at half-time for Akor Adams to win his 100th cap. He joined a small club that includes Joseph Yobo, Vincent Enyeama, Ahmed Musa and Alex Iwobi.

Then Bissau. Eric Chelle made three changes, bringing in Frank Onyeka, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Taiwo Awoniyi. Chukwueze, Ola Aina and Ilenikhena dropped out, Ilenikhena with a fitness concern. On a bumpy pitch at the 24 de Setembro Stadium, Nigeria never settled.

How the Bissau goals were scored

The detail matters here, because all three goals tell the same story. Nobody was stepping in to stop the man on the ball before he reached a dangerous area.

1. 15 minutes: Franculino Djú found space on the edge of the area against left-back Bruno Onyemaechi and curled a shot into the far corner. No midfielder was close enough to block or close him down.
2. 66 minutes: captain Mama Baldé, playing at right-back, carried the ball forward, went past Bright Osayi-Samuel and finished past Stanley Nwabali. A full-back running the length of the pitch unchallenged is a midfield problem as much as a defensive one.
3. Stoppage time: Alvaro Djaló picked the ball up in Nigeria's half on the counter-attack, ran at the defence and drove a low shot into the net. Nigeria were chasing the game, and nobody was left to screen the centre-backs.

allAfrica described it as Guinea-Bissau's biggest ever win over Nigeria. Several Nigerian outlets noted that the Super Eagles had not conceded three goals in an AFCON qualifier in recent memory.

Why the midfield is the real problem

Premium Times summed it up in its post-match analysis: the defence was exposed because the midfield did not protect it. That matches what we saw. Guinea-Bissau found space between the lines again and again. Every time a pass got through, the back four was defending in a footrace.

The pitch made passing harder, and that is a fair point. But Guinea-Bissau played on the same surface and adapted. A midfield that cannot keep the ball on a bad pitch has to at least stop the other team from keeping it.

The Russia friendly, played with a much changed and largely experimental squad, did not answer the question either. Russia scored three times between the 30th and 54th minutes. Nigeria's comeback, with goals from debutant Peter Edokpolor and a stoppage-time equaliser from Akor Adams, showed character. It did not show control.

The pattern since AFCON 2025

This is worth saying because it is not the whole picture. At AFCON 2025 in Morocco, Nigeria won all three group games, beat Mozambique 4-0 and Algeria 2-0, and drew 0-0 with the hosts in the semi-final before losing on penalties. They then beat Egypt on penalties to take bronze. That was a team that knew how to defend for 120 minutes. The question is why the same structure has looked so loose since.

The options for November

Chelle has three broad choices. None of them is free.

Option one: two holding midfielders

The safest fix is a double pivot: two midfielders whose first job is to sit in front of the centre-backs. It costs a body in attack, but against a side that hurts you on the break, it buys the defence time. It would also free the full-backs to push on knowing someone is covering behind them.

Option two: same shape, different players

Chelle could keep his structure and change the personnel, picking midfielders whose instinct is to win the ball back rather than carry it. That keeps the attacking patterns the players already know. The risk is that it treats a structural problem as a selection problem.

Option three: change nothing

There is a case that Bissau was a bad night on a bad pitch, and that the team which beat Madagascar deserves another go. We are not convinced, because Madagascar also scored first, and Russia scored three.

What is at stake against Tanzania

This is where the maths gets serious. Tanzania are co-hosts of AFCON 2027 with Kenya and Uganda, so they are already qualified. In host groups, only one other team goes through, which means Nigeria are effectively competing with Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar for a single place. Guinea-Bissau have six points from two games. Nigeria have three.

Nigeria host Tanzania and then travel for the return game in the November window. The exact dates and the home venue are still being confirmed: see the latest on the dates and venue. The Nigeria Football Federation has said the team needs to win both. Anything less and Nigeria could go into the final round in March needing results elsewhere. For a country that missed the 2026 World Cup after losing a playoff to DR Congo on penalties, missing an AFCON would be a second blow in two years.

Our take

Start with two holders against Tanzania and protect the back four first. Nigeria have enough quality in wide areas to create chances without committing an extra midfielder forward. Get the first goal, not the second concession, and the rest of the plan becomes easier.

Read the full After 90 on the Bissau defeat and our report on the 3-3 draw with Russia. Then have your say on who should lead the line while Osimhen is out. For more Nigeria coverage, visit the Naija Football hub.