Johannes Bonfrere, the former Nigeria coach, has expressed disbelief at the Super Eagles' 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau's Djurtus in Tuesday's 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Bissau — and he has refused to let current coach Eric Chelle off the hook.

Bonfrere's fury at the result

Speaking to Completesports.com from his home in the Netherlands on Wednesday, the 80-year-old Bonfrere was unambiguous in his condemnation. "It's absolutely unbelievable that Guinea-Bissau could defeat the Super Eagles 3-0," he said. "That's shameful, very disappointing. It shows how low Nigerian football has fallen."

The defeat came at the 20,000-capacity Estádio 24 de Setembro, where Nigeria — three-time AFCON champions — were outplayed and outscored by a side ranked far below them. Bonfrere described the result as a shame not only for the national team but for the country's football as a whole.

Rejecting Chelle's explanations

After the match, Super Eagles coach Eric Sekou Chelle cited the poor pitch and difficult weather conditions as factors behind the team's dismal performance. Bonfrere was having none of it.

"That's a stupid excuse," he said. "We once played against Eritrea in Asmara on April 9, 2000, and got a draw despite the bad pitch and weather. You trained on the pitch before the game. When the pitch is bad, when the weather is bad, you change tactics. That's the work of the coach."

Bonfrere guided Nigeria's U-23s to the men's football gold medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, and also took the Super Eagles to the 2000 AFCON final, where they finished as runners-up.

Questions over Chelle's position

Bonfrere also turned his attention to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), questioning the decision to keep Chelle in charge after Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

"It's ridiculous, he's still there," Bonfrere said. "Nigeria did not go to the World Cup despite having a chance as the third-best team to go through the play-offs. Yes, he did not start the qualifiers, but when he came, Nigeria had a chance through the play-offs. But he didn't. It's unbelievable the federation went for a coach from Mali to lead the Super Eagles."

Bonfrere, who assisted Clemens Westerhof when Nigeria won the 1994 AFCON in Tunisia and made their FIFA World Cup debut in the United States, warned that the country's football is declining rapidly — and insisted that excuses will not reverse that trajectory.