Nigeria defeated Gabon 4-1 in the playoff round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday to set up a final clash against DR Congo, who were 1-0 winners over Cameroon in the other clash.
The Super Eagles will now take on the Leopards in the one-off final clash scheduled for Sunday in Morocco with kickoff at 8 PM, to determine Africa’s sole representative at the intercontinental playoffs.
The major talking point ahead of the match was how the team would cope with the challenge posed by the Gabonese, after limited preparations for the clash.
The players had boycotted training sessions on Tuesday following disagreement with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) over unpaid wages and bonuses, but returned to training on Wednesday after agreeing to settle.
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They showed no signs of rust in an extremely dominant performance as they romped to a convincing 4-1 win over the Gabonese side.
It took until the 78th minute before the first goal was scored, with Sevilla striker Akor Adams taking advantage of a defensive mistake to slot into an empty net.
The Panthers refused to give up and pulled one back through Mario Lemina, whose shot was deflected past Stanley Nwabali to make the scores 1-1.
With extra-time looming, Nigerians would have been happy with who a big chance fell to as Victor Osimhen found himself one-v-one with the Gabon goalkeeper.
Surprisingly, the Galatasaray target-man wasted the effort to the shock of supporters and fans across the stadium.
Chidera Ejuke then opened scoring in extra-time to put Nigeria ahead, before Osimhen made amends for his early miss with two goals to seal the win.
The result books a spot in the final for the Super Eagles, where they will face the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday.
In this article, SportPremi highlights some major takeaways from Thursday’s clash;
1. Osimhen remains Nigeria’s major attacking threat:
Eric Chelle went with an attacking lineup, starting the likes of Akor Adams, Samuel Chukwueze, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi.
However, it was Osimhen who proved to be the main threat, getting on the end of several chances in the first half.
Nigeria hooked off Chukwueze and Lookman in the second half as they searched for a goal following below‑par displays.
Despite missing a wonderful chance to win it in normal time, Osimhen netted twice in added time to take his goal tally to 31 for Nigeria, edging closer to Rashidi Yekini’s all-time record for the national team.
2. Benjamin Fredrick is a real gem:
When Benjamin Fredrick made his first start in a competitive game for Nigeria in September, many frowned at the decision, particularly as captain William Troost-Ekong was benched instead.
The young defender has not put a foot wrong since that game and capped off another excellent display with an assist for Osimhen’s second and Nigeria’s fourth of the clash.
His partnership with Calvin Bassey at the heart of the defense has become very solid and was very efficient on Thursday, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang receiving limited service and without an attempt on goal.
3. Eric Chelle proving his worth:
Plenty of doubts surrounded his qualifications when they appointed Eric Chelle as head coach earlier this year.
However, the former Mali gaffer has proven to be an excellent addition with the Super Eagles showing proper attacking intent and tactical awareness.
It is now one step closer to the World Cup for his side, who are beginning to revive their status as one of the continent’s best sides.
4. One step closer to the World Cup for Nigeria:
At a point in September after their 1-1 draw against South Africa, Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the World Cup became very faint.
Bafana Bafana point deduction and wins over Rwanda, Lesotho and Benin Republic ensured that the Super Eagles qualified for the playoffs.
Should they defeat DR Congo on Sunday, a clash against an opponent from Asia, Oceania or South America awaits in the intercontinental playoffs, after which they could begin to prepare for next year’s World Cup.
