Victor Osimhen will be the star focus when Nigeria and Gabon meet in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African play-off semi-final at the Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay Al Hassan in Rabat on Thursday, Softfootball reports.
The Super Eagles made it into the play-offs courtesy a 4-0 win over Benin Republic with Osimhen scoring a hat-trick while The Panthers beat Burundi 2-0 in the final game of the qualifiers.
The Super Eagles official X handle made post about the game. The post read:
Gameday is just 3 days away! ⏳
If you were in the dugout, who’s making your starting XI for this one? pic.twitter.com/jcjyfo3wqB
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) November 10, 2025Interestingly, Super Eagles Coach, Eric Chelle is 48 today and he won’t want to be the man that would make Nigeria miss a second consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance after falling to qualify for Qatar 2022 while Gabon, who have never dined at football’s highest table, are eager to experience what it all means.
The ingredients for a fiery evening in Morocco’s administrative capital is complete, with both Chelle and Mouyouma likely to adopt the 4-3-3 formation to play to the strengths of their lead orchestrators.
Head-to-Head
Nigeria have been victorious in five of nine previous encounters with Gabon at senior men level, dating back 60 years, when Nigeria won and drew friendly matches played over two days in Libreville. Gabon’s only triumph – a 2-1 win in a World Cup qualifier on 25th June 1989 – ultimately cost Nigeria a ticket to Italia ’90 as the Eagles failed to secure the draw needed against Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions in Yaounde on the final day of the series.
Here is a video of Super Eagles players training ahead of the match as posted by their official X handle and the music at the background was by Fulham midfielder, Alex Iwobi.
We had our first training session at the Institut Royal de Formation des Cadres in Rabat 🇲🇦!#SoarSuperEagles #NGAGAB #FIFAWCQ2026 pic.twitter.com/MNFANUxRBT
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) November 10, 2025Three of the nine matches have been drawn, including a Germany 2006 World Cup qualifier, but Thursday’s game cannot end in a draw, as a winner must emerge to proceed to Sunday’s Final.
STAR PLAYER
2023 Africa Player of the Year Victor Osimhen, who netted six goals in the qualifying series (all against three teams viz Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Benin Republic), is likely to have Samuel Chukwueze and Ademola Lookman as partners from the off.
The rampant Osimhen, with 29 goals in 44 matches for the Nigeria senior team, has netted 160 goals and 36 assists in 275 club career matches, and is presently one of the most feared forwards in world football.
Gabon’s star man is 36-year- old forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has turned out for English Premiership side Arsenal and German Bundesliga top team Borussia Dortmund, and is now with former European champions Olympique Marseille in France.
The brilliant forward’s father, Pierre-François Aubameyang, featured for the Panthers at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia, in which the Panthers lost their first match 0-3 to Nigeria and crashed out at group stage, as the Eagles went on to win their second continental title.
TEAM NEWS
Eric Chelle, unbeaten in four competitive matches with Nigeria in the qualifying campaign (three wins and a draw), will most likely stick with goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, and in the absence of injured Olaoluwa Aina and Semi Ajayi due to suspension, probably calibrate a rearguard of Benjamin Fredericks, captain William Ekong, Calvin Bassey and Zaidu Sanusi, with Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Moses Simon in midfield.
Gabom Coan, Thierry Mouyouma is likely to stick to his regular army, which puts Loyce Mbaba in goal, with youngster Jacques Ekomie alongside Bruno Manga, Mick Omfia and Anthony Oyono at the rear, and Guélor Kanga, Mario Lemina and Didier Ndong in midfield.
Aubameyang, who scored all four goals in the dismantling of The Gambia away in the qualifying series, will have regular partners Denis Bouanga and Noah Lemina as co-conspirators at the fore.
Mouyouma has revealed that his Panthers are contemplating the quick, short passing game to force Nigeria’s matadors to chase the game, while Chelle has kept his option to his chest as the fiery encounter looms.
Nigeria probable XI:
Nwabali; Frederick, Ekong, Bassey, Onyemaechi; Chukwueze, Ndidi, Iwobi, Simon; Osimhen, Lookman
Gabon probable XI:
Mbaba; Onfia, M’bemba, Manga; Lemina, Kanga, Ndong, Averlant; Obiang, Bouanga, Aubameyang
Softfootball prediction
Nigeria are favourite in this encounter despite not having a good qualifier. Gabon are solid in transitions but the Eagles will be stronger on the day. Nigeria 2-0 Gabon.
