Nigeria thrashed Gabon 4–1 to qualify for the World Cup play-off final.
Glamtush reports that the Super Eagles cruised to a 4–1 victory over Gabon in their 2026 World Cup play-off semi-final on Thursday evening.
Nigeria advanced to the mini-tournament after finishing as one of the best runners-up in the main qualifying round.
Eric Chelle’s side secured second place behind South Africa, who claimed the automatic Group C qualification spot.
The Super Eagles dominated the opening stages against the Panthers but struggled to convert their early chances into goals.
They narrowly escaped conceding a penalty when Bright Osayi-Samuel appeared to pull a Gabonese player’s shirt — a moment reviewed by VAR — but the referee ultimately waved play on.
In the 78th minute, Adams Akor broke the deadlock, capitalizing on a loose ball to score into an empty net. Gabon, however, equalized 10 minutes later through Mario Lemina’s deflected strike, which slipped past Stanley Nwabali.
Early in extra time, Chidera Ejuke restored Nigeria’s lead after a fine assist from Wilfred Ndidi, before Victor Osimhen sealed the victory with a late brace.
With the 4–1 win, Nigeria advanced to the playoff. Nigeria will play the Democratic Republic of Congo, who defeated Cameroon 1-0, in the African final on Sunday with a place in the six-nation intercontinental playoffs next March up for grabs.
The two winners of the finals in the tournament will qualify for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Bolivia and New Caledonia have already secured slots.
