Gabon ready to face Nigeria in 2026 WCQ play-offs
Gabon’s head coach, Thierry Mouyouma, has declared his squad fully prepared to take on Nigeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers play-offs. He spoke after Gabon completed their Group F campaign with eight wins, one draw, and one loss, amassing 25 points—just one point behind group leaders Côte d’Ivoire. Even though they missed out on automatic qualification, Mouyouma said the team is looking ahead. He admitted it was hard to accept that tally without a direct qualification spot, but emphasized that Gabon is ready for what’s next. He called the upcoming match against Nigeria a good test, both for the World Cup play-offs and in view of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The play-offs in question will be held from November 13 to 16, 2025, in Morocco. Gabon will face Nigeria in the semi-final, while in the other semi-final Cameroon will take on DR Congo. The winner of this mini-tournament will go on to the intercontinental play-offs in March 2026.
Here are some added details: Gabon secured second place in their group with 25 points out of a possible 30. Nigeria got into the play-offs after a convincing 4-0 win over the Benin Republic in Uyo. Key players like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be available, having served a one-match suspension
