Guinea-Bissau: Federation denies CAF closure of National Stadium

The Guinea-Bissau Football Federation has denied reports that the 24 September Stadium was closed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as well as claims that an apology had been sent to the Nigerian Football Federation.

In an official statement published on its page, the Guinea-Bissau governing body said the information first appeared on a Nigerian account specialising in sports news on social media, before being picked up by several local media outlets.

The Federation stressed above all that it had received no notification, decision, report or official correspondence from CAF concerning any possible closure of the stadium.

The clarification comes after reports circulated claiming that the 24 September Stadium did not meet CAF’s required standards.

The same rumour referred to a decision to close the venue, as well as an apology allegedly presented to the Nigerian Football Federation after the match between the two national teams.

It should be recalled that the 24 September Stadium hosted the meeting between Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria in the second round of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. The Djurtus secured a convincing 3-0 victory.

An official statement to respond to the rumours

In response to this information, the Guinea-Bissau Football Federation issued a statement to clarify the situation and set the record straight.

Here is the statement issued:

PRESS RELEASE

Regarding the information concerning the alleged suspension of the 24 September National Stadium and the alleged apology from CAF to the Nigerian Football Federation

The Guinea-Bissau Football Federation (FFGB) has taken note of the information circulated in recent hours, originating from a Nigerian account specialising in sports news on social media and repeated by certain national media outlets, according to which the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had suspended the 24 September National Stadium and apologised to the Nigerian Football Federation.

In view of the concern caused by this information among the public, the FFGB wishes to provide the following clarifications:

As of today, the FFGB has received no notification, decision, report or communication from CAF concerning any possible suspension of the 24 September National Stadium. Nor is it aware of any request for an apology made by CAF to another federation.

The information in question did not come from any official CAF channel. It is based on a post circulated by a Nigerian account on social media and then repeated by certain media outlets, which presented it as mere information, without any document, statement or clearly identified institutional source.

CAF is an institution governed by its own rules and procedures. Any decision concerning the approval or suspension of a sports venue requires, in accordance with the regulations in force, a technical on-site inspection conducted by the competent services, the preparation of a report and its prior communication to the member federation concerned, which is always guaranteed the right to submit its observations.

None of these steps has been initiated in the present case. CAF does not make decisions concerning its member federations through the press or third parties.

It should be recalled that the 24 September National Stadium was inspected and approved by CAF to host matches in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The match between Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria also took place with the approval of the match commissioner and the refereeing team appointed by CAF, with no contrary measure being taken.

The 3-0 result was achieved on the pitch, deservedly and without ambiguity. The Nigerian coach and players themselves publicly acknowledged the superiority of the Guinea-Bissau national team and accepted responsibility for the defeat. No subsequent narrative can change that fact.

The FFGB regrets the attempts to minimise a legitimate victory for the Djurtus through the dissemination of unconfirmed information. It calls on national media outlets, before publishing information of such gravity, to carry out the necessary checks with official sources, in accordance with the duty of accuracy and the public’s trust.

The FFGB maintains regular institutional relations with CAF and remains in contact with its services. Should it receive any official communication concerning this matter, the Federation will exercise the rights afforded to it and immediately inform the public.

The FFGB wishes to reassure Guinea-Bissau society as a whole, supporters and the national football community: as of today, the information in question has no official basis.

The Federation will continue to work in coordination with the government and the competent authorities to continuously improve the conditions at the National Stadium. For its part, the national team is calmly continuing its preparations for its upcoming fixtures.

The Djurtus deservedly occupy first place in Group L. United, we move towards AFCON 2027.

Bissau, October 5, 2026

Rivaldo Cá
The FFGB Executive Committee

2027 AFCON qualifiers: Nigeria put themselves in danger after defeat by Guinea-Bissau

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

Related teams and leagues

Guinea-Bissau