Gabon head coach, Thierry Mouyouma has stated that his players are prepared to take on Nigeria’s Super Eagles in the African playoffs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

 

 

 

Gabon completed their qualifying campaign with an impressive record of eight wins, one draw, and one defeat, finishing with 25 points out of a possible 30. This tally was one point short of Group F winners Côte d’Ivoire, preventing the Panthers from securing automatic qualification.

 

 

 

 

Reflecting on his team’s near miss, Mouyouma acknowledged the difficulty of the situation. “To get 25 points and not qualify is hard to take,” the coach told Sport News Africa. However, he is now focused on the upcoming clash against Nigeria in the play-offs.

 

 

“We are ready. It will be a good match to play, and a good test for the 2025 AFCON,” he added.

 

 

 

Nigeria finished second in Group C behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification and will make their first World Cup appearance since 2010.

 

 

 

The African play-offs are scheduled to take place from November 13 to 16 in Morocco, with the matchups featuring Nigeria against Gabon and Cameroon against DR Congo. The winner of this bracket will advance to the intercontinental play-offs, slated for March 2026 in Mexico.