Nigeria reached the African play-off final for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a dramatic 4–1 victory over Gabon in extra time at Rabat’s Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium on Thursday. The Super Eagles will meet the Democratic Republic of Congo in Sunday’s continental final, with the winner advancing to the six-team inter-confederation play-offs in March.
The game looked to be slipping away from Nigeria late on after Gabon’s Mario Lemina levelled in the 89th minute, cancelling out Akor Adams’ 78th-minute opener. But Nigeria erupted in extra time: Chidera Ejuke put the Super Eagles back in front in the 97th minute before Victor Osimhen sealed the win with a brace, scoring in the 102nd and 110th minutes.
Osimhen, who has carried much of Nigeria’s attacking burden during qualifying, again proved decisive, turning in a composed extra-time display to give the Super Eagles a clear win after a tense 90 minutes. Match reports noted that Nigeria’s path to the decider was far from straightforward, with the team weathering missed chances and late pressure before prevailing.
The victory was achieved despite a rocky build-up. Reports earlier in the week revealed a brief player protest over unpaid bonuses that briefly disrupted preparations, an issue the squad ultimately put behind them on the pitch.
Nigeria’s reward is a high-stakes showdown with DR Congo on Sunday in Rabat. The African play-off final is effectively a continental semi-final in the longer road to the expanded 48-team World Cup to be hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States in 2026. The continental winner will advance to an inter-confederation tournament in March, where only two of six teams will secure the final World Cup berths.
What it means for Nigeria: automatic qualification is already out of reach after South Africa topped Group C, so the Super Eagles must now navigate two more high-pressure ties to keep their World Cup ambitions alive. First, they must get past DR Congo in Rabat; then, if successful, they will face an inter-confederation hurdle in March.
The match day statements focused on relief and focus. Celebrations were tempered by acknowledgment that the job is only half-done. Nigeria still needs a big performance on Sunday to maintain momentum.
Looking ahead, DR Congo will bring its own firepower to the final after Chancel Mbemba’s stoppage-time winner eliminated Cameroon in the other semi-final, setting up what promises to be a tense continental decider. The winner from Rabat will head into March’s inter-confederation play-offs bidding to join the global showpiece next summer.
