The Super Eagles of Nigeria triumphed over Gabon 4-1 in their 2026 World Cup playoff semi-final on Thursday evening.
Eric Chelle’s men qualified for the mini-tournament as one of the best runners-up in the main qualifying series.
They come next to South Africa who grabbed the automatic ticket from Group C.
Against the Panthers, the Eagles dominated the early exchanges of the game, but failed to find the goal that their dominance deserved.
They were also lucky not to concede a penalty, after Bright Osayi-Samuel’s tug on the shirt was scrutinized through the VAR pitchside monitor. But the referee decided not to award a spot-kick.
In the 78th minute of the match, with Adams Akor opened the scoring after he pounced on a loose ball to score into an empty net.
But Gabon levelled 10 minutes later, as Mario Lemina’s deflected effort crept in past Stanley Nwabali.
Chidera Ejuke restored Nigeria’s lead early in extra time by finishing off a feed from Wilfred Ndidi, and Victor Osimhen then scored again.
In order to secure a spot to represent Africa in the intercontinental playoffs in March 2026, Nigeria will now play the winner of the match between Cameroon and DR Congo
