World Cup: Super Eagles set to face Gabon in African play offs

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will take on Gabon in the semi-finals of the African zone play-offs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following the conclusion of the qualifying group stage on Tuesday.

The three-time African champions secured their play-off spot with an impressive 4–0 victory over Benin Republic, finishing second in their group. Gabon also qualified after defeating Burundi 2–0, aided by Ivory Coast’s win over Kenya, which left the Panthers as runners-up in Group F.

In other results, DR Congo edged Sudan 1–0 to finish second to Senegal in Group B, while Cameroon secured the runner-up spot in Group D behind Cape Verde, completing the quartet heading to the play-offs.

The mini-tournament will take place in Morocco from November 13 to 16, featuring Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon, and DR Congo. The semi-final winners will face off in a single-leg final for a ticket to the inter-confederation play-offs in March 2026, offering one African team a final chance to qualify for the World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Based on the upcoming FIFA rankings update on October 23, Nigeria is expected to be the highest-ranked African team among the four, and will therefore face Gabon, the lowest-ranked side, while Cameroon will meet DR Congo in the other semi-final.

Both semi-finals are scheduled for November 13, with the final set for November 16. All matches will be single-leg, with extra time and penalties to decide tied games if necessary.

CAF is expected to announce the host cities and venues for the matches in the coming days. While nine African group winners have already qualified for the expanded 48-team World Cup, the play-offs provide the continent one additional opportunity for World Cup representation through the inter-confederation route.