Tobias Sylvester
Captain of the Guinea Bissau national team, Jonas Azevedo Mendes has expressed confidence that the Djurtus will defeat the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the ongoing 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Mendes, who is the team’s first-choice goalkeeper, said his team will rather ‘die’ than see themselves losing today’s match against the Super Eagles.
According to him, the Djurtus will battle the Super Eagles with all their might and they were determined to ensure they do not go home after the tie.
When asked if there was any particular player in the Eagles team they were targeting, Mendes said; “we know Nigeria is a good team. It will be a mistake to target any particular player. We are facing all of them with equal attention”.
Raised in Portugal, the goalkeeper once played for Beira-Mar, in the Primera Liga but has spent most of his playing career in the third tier of Portuguese football.
Guinea Bissau has been a revelation in the ongoing AFCON tournament. In a group that has African giants in Nigeria, Egypt and Sudan the tropical country on the West African coast has not played as underdogs. They pulled a draw against Sudan, controversially losing to Egypt.
They are currently ranked 6th among the best losers. A win over the Super Eagles will see them qualify for the round of 16.
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles of Nigeria had already cruised into round 16 at the AFCON after beating Sudan 3-1 at the Stade Roumdé Adjia in Garoua, Cameroon.
