Ahead of Super Eagles‘ 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier away at Guinea-Bissau, former Nigerian midfielder Sam Elijah warned Eric Chelle’s side not to underestimate their opponent, stressing that the slim win over Madagascar on Friday is an “eye-opener.”

Elijah said the performance of the team was sub-par but was happy the team secured maximum points to start the qualifiers on a winning note.

The former Nigerian midfielder stressed that the narrow win over Madagascar is an indication that coach Eric Chelle needs to rejig his set-up ahead of the face-off against Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday evening, Elijah told All Nigerian Soccer.

“The match against Madagascar is an eye-opener and a match that we should go back to the drawing board and start all over again.”

“If you look at the performance, it is not in the high level but my joy and happiness is that we got our three points.”

“This is not a friendly match, tournament, but a qualifier. Which is why I said, I am happy that we got the three points that matter.”

Sam Elijah noticed the lapses in Eric Chelle’s tactical approach and player profiles against Madagascar and stressed that the Malian coach sticks to his best players instead of experimenting, given that the qualification series is different from friendly matches.

The former midfielder further stressed that there are no longer minnows in African football. Hence, the Super Eagles must not gamble and approach the match with the aim of getting maximum points.

“Now we have gone beyond trying to experiment with players, we need to settle down and the coach knows the players that would give us the desired result.”

“We don’t need to gamble, we need players that are committed. We need players that would play according to instructions. There are no more minnows if it comes to football in Africa and the world. It is the way you prepare yourself.”

Elijah called on Eric Chelle and his coaching staff to prepare the Super Eagles adequately to ensure victory against the Djurtus.

“So the preparation should on top gear by the coach, technically and tactically. The boys must come out highly committed and determined. It is a must-win match for us. We need to approach the match with all diligence.”

Sam Elijah was part of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles team that competed at the 1989 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, where the team finished runners-up behind Portugal.