Nigeria’s Super Eagles beat Gabon 4-1 in the 2026 World Cup playoff semi-final, with Osimhen scoring twice to send Nigeria into the playoff final
Nigeria’s Super Eagles stormed into the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff mini-tournament after a commanding 4-1 victory over Gabon on Thursday evening.
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The win moves Nigeria one step closer to securing a place in next year’s intercontinental playoff, where the final ticket to the World Cup will be contested.
The Super Eagles, who qualified for the mini-tournament as one of the best runners-up from the main qualifying series, showed their intent from the start, dominating possession and creating early chances.
Despite their early pressure, Nigeria failed to convert in the first half and were nearly punished when Bright Osayi-Samuel appeared to tug a Gabonese attacker’s shirt inside the box — but after a VAR review, the referee waved play on.
The breakthrough finally came in the 78th minute, when Akor Adams pounced on a loose ball to slot home into an empty net.
However, the Panthers found a way back into the game 10 minutes later as Mario Lemina’s deflected shot beat Stanley Nwabali to level the score at 1-1.
With the match heading into extra time, Chidera Ejuke restored Nigeria’s lead, finishing calmly from Wilfred Ndidi’s clever pass.
Moments later, Victor Osimhen took control, scoring twice in quick succession to seal a convincing 4-1 win for the three-time African champions.
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Nigeria will now face the winner between DR Congo and Cameroon in the playoff final, where the victor will earn a spot in the intercontinental playoff scheduled for March 2026.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
