Nigeria and Gabon are set for a high-stakes showdown on Thursday evening at the Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay Al Hassan in Rabat, as both sides battle for a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African playoff final.
The winner of this semi-final will face either Cameroon or the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday for the final ticket to the tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
For Nigeria, a six-time World Cup finalist, the stakes are clear: avoid missing the finals for a second consecutive cycle.
Gabon, yet to feature on football’s biggest stage, are eager to make history.
Coaches Eric Chelle of Nigeria and Thierry Mouyouma of Gabon are expected to deploy a 4-3-3 formation, playing to the strengths of their key players.
Nigeria, unbeaten in four competitive qualifiers under Chelle, will likely line up with goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, a rearguard including Benjamin Fredericks, William Ekong, Calvin Bassey, and Zaidu Sanusi, and midfield trio Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, and Frank Onyeka.
Upfront, Victor Osimhen, Nigeria’s 2023 Africa Player of the Year with 29 international goals, will lead the attack alongside Samuel Chukwueze and Ademola Lookman.
Gabon, the best second-placed team across the nine qualification groups, will rely heavily on veteran forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who scored four goals in Gabon’s decisive win over The Gambia.
He will be supported by Denis Bouanga and Noah Lemina. Coach Mouyouma is expected to deploy a compact, short-passing game to unsettle Nigeria’s defense.
Historically, Nigeria has dominated the fixture, winning five of nine matches over 60 years. Gabon’s only victory came in a 1989 World Cup qualifier, while three games ended in draws.
With a decisive winner required on Thursday, history and modern ambition collide in what promises to be a fiery encounter.
Past Encounters:
28 Aug 1965: Gabon 2-2 Nigeria (Friendly)
29 Aug 1965: Gabon 1-4 Nigeria (Friendly)
02 Mar 1983: Gabon 0-0 Nigeria (Friendly)
07 Jan 1989: Nigeria 1-0 Gabon (WC qualifier)
25 June 1989: Gabon 2-1 Nigeria (WC qualifier)
26 Mar 1994: Nigeria 3-0 Gabon (AFCON finals)
21 Nov 1999: Gabon 0-2 Nigeria (Friendly)
09 Oct 2004: Gabon 1-1 Nigeria (WC qualifier)
26 Mar 2005: Nigeria 2-0 Gabon (WC qualifier)
