Match Summary

On 13 November 2025, the Nigeria national football team (Super Eagles) booked their place in the African playoff final for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign by defeating the Gabon national football team 4-1 after extra time. (Reuters)

The match took place at the Prince Héritier Moulay Al Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco. (africasport.net)

Timeline & key moments

• The first half ended goalless despite Nigeria dominating possession and creating chances. (africasport.net)

• In the 78th minute, Nigeria took the lead when Akor Adams intercepted a poor back-pass by Gabon, rounded the keeper and slotted home. (The Telegraph Nigeria)

• With time winding down, Gabon struck a lifeline: in the 89th minute, Mario Lemina curled a shot which deflected past Nigeria’s keeper to make it 1-1 and force extra time. (ESPN.com)

• In extra time, Nigeria surged ahead:

  • At 97′, Chidera Ejuke scored his first senior international goal to restore the lead. (African Football)

  • Then Victor Osimhen took over — he scored in the 102′ minute and again in the 110′ to seal the 4-1 victory. (Vanguard News)

Significance & what it means

• Nigeria now advance to face the winner of the other semi-final between Cameroon national football team and Democratic Republic of Congo national football team for a spot in the inter-confederation playoffs in March 2026. (Reuters)

• For Gabon, this defeat ends their dream of reaching a first ever World Cup finals — they have never qualified for the global tournament. (ESPN.com)

• Nigeria’s path to the World Cup remains difficult: they must now win the African playoff final and then win the inter-confederation play-off to secure a berth.

• Their previous campaign saw them fail to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, so the margin for error is small. (ESPN.com)

Tactical & team observations

• Despite dominating for large spells, Nigeria were sloppy at times, particularly in allowing Gabon a late equaliser.

• As one analyst put it: “It looked like a comfortable victory … but the script flipped.” (beIN SPORTS)

• Extra time proved decisive: Nigeria’s depth and fitness paid off.

• The introduction of fresh legs and decisive finishing in extra time underscored their superiority when the game went beyond 90 minutes. (africasport.net)

• Victor Osimhen’s showing reinforced his importance.

• After missing chances in normal time, he stepped up in extra time with a timely brace, adding to his goal tally and status as Nigeria’s attacking lynchpin. (beIN SPORTS)

• On Gabon’s side, despite having quality players (such as Lemina), they lacked composure in the crucial moments and could not silence Nigeria’s attacking threat when it mattered. (Africanews)

Off-the-field context

• Nigeria’s preparations were not entirely smooth: prior to the match the squad had a standoff with the national federation over unpaid bonuses, which threatened to disrupt training.

• This was resolved shortly before the game. (ESPN.com)

• The match being held in a neutral venue (Rabat, Morocco) underlines the nature of the CAF playoff — a single-leg knockout where one bad phase can undo weeks of preparation.

What to watch next

• Nigeria’s next opponent (Cameroon or DR Congo) will provide a stern test. Should they progress, the inter-confederation playoff will demand yet more from them.

• The road to the World Cup is far from over.

• Will Nigeria manage to fix the late-game hiccups that almost cost them tonight?

• Their dominance in terms of possession and chances must translate into more consistent closing of matches.

• Gabon will however turn their attention to the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (also in Morocco) and rebuild from this disappointment.

For Nigeria, the momentum of this win must be sustained.

In short: Nigeria survived a scare, then turned on the style in extra time to beat Gabon 4-1.

They now edge one step closer to the World Cup, but the toughest stretches lie ahead.