Nigeria and Gabon set for momentous clash in Morocco

Either Nigeria or Gabon will take one step closer to Fifa World Cup qualification on Thursday as the two nations face off in a do-or-die semifinal at the Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.

Kick-off is at 6pm CAT.

The two are meeting in the second round of African qualification for the global showpiece, which features the four best second-placed finishers from the group stage. The tournament takes the format of two semifinals and a final, with the winner progressing to the Fifa Play-Off Tournament in March 2026, where two spots at the World Cup are up for grabs.

Nigeria earned their spot in the second round of Africa qualifying on the last day of the group stage, beating Benin 4-0 at home to claim second place in Group C, one point behind South Africa.

Despite a rough start to their qualifying campaign, the Super Eagles were much improved under head coach Éric Chelle, who took the reins in January. Under his watch, Nigeria claimed four wins and two draws in their quest to qualify.

The Super Eagles have participated in six World Cups, with their most recent appearance coming in the 2018 edition.

As a traditional powerhouse of African football, Nigeria will be itching to make a return to the global showpiece, with two missed tournaments in a row unfathomable for the nation.

Gabon finished second in Group F of African qualifying, losing out on automatic qualification to Afcon champions Ivory Coast by one point. The Panthers lost only one match of the campaign, winning eight and drawing one and finished as the best performing second-placed team.

Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang bagged seven goals in just five qualifying games, while winger Denis Bouanga registered eight goals and three assists in 10 games.

Bounga has 49 international caps to his name and could be the difference maker in his 50th appearance for his nation.

The country has never participated in the Fifa World Cup before and will be eager to make history.