CAF confirms Nigeria vs Gabon World Cup 2026 playoff
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the African playoff tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification will feature Nigeria national football team (the Super Eagles) facing Gabon national football team (the Panthers) in a semi-final on Thursday, 13 November 2025.
The mini-tournament is scheduled from 13 to 16 November 2025 in Rabat, Morocco. The match between Nigeria and Gabon is set to kick off at 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT) at either the El Barid Stadium or the Prince Moulay El Hassan Sports Complex the draw on 30 October will determine which venue hosts which game.
This playoff format arises because Africa’s direct qualification slots for the World Cup have been expanded, and the four best runners-up from the nine groups (which include Nigeria and Gabon) will now contest this playoff tournament to earn the continent’s final inter-continental play-off berth.
