Nigeria and Gabon will face off on Thursday evening in a high-stakes 2026 FIFA World Cup African playoff semi-final in Rabat.
The winner will advance to Sunday’s final against the victor of the Cameroon vs. Democratic Republic of Congo semi-final.
The Super Eagles, six-time World Cup finalists, are determined to avoid missing consecutive tournaments, while Gabon, seeking their first World Cup experience, hope to create an upset.
Historically, Nigeria has dominated previous encounters, winning five of nine matches, while Gabon has only one victory, a 2-1 World Cup qualifier win in 1989 that contributed to Nigeria missing Italia ’90.
The match cannot end in a draw, as a winner must emerge to proceed to the final.
