Super Eagles Star Fires Warning to Gabon, Backs Nigeria to Qualify for World Cup Through Playoffs
- Super Eagles star Alex Iwobi has fired a strong warning to Gabon ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier
- Nigeria and the Panthers of Gabon will face off in the semi-final of the African playoff on November 13
- Iwobi named two players who should strike fear into the Gabonese ahead of the crucial match in Rabat, Morocco
Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has fired a strong warning to Gabon ahead of their crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff on November 13, 2025.
Nigeria and Gabon will face off at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat for a chance to play either Cameroon or DR Congo in the final.
Source: Getty Images
The Super Eagles missed out on automatic qualification for the World Cup, but have a chance through the playoffs, which they do not want to miss again, as noted by the NFF.
Eric Chelle turned the tide around for the Super Eagles, with the team sitting fifth in Group C with three points from the opening four games.
Chelle won 14 points from six matches, four wins and two draws, including the 4-0 routing of Benin on the final matchday to clinch the playoff spot.
Alex Iwobi sends message to Gabon
Iwobi has warned Gabon to be wary of the threat posed by Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman when the two sides clash in Morocco on November 13.
The Fulham midfielder likened the Super Eagles' resuscitation in the campaign to waking the dead and added that the players must now prove their worth.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” he told CNN. “We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen). It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Iwobi and his Fulham teammate Calvin Bassey were the only players who featured in all 10 matches during the group stage of the qualifiers.
Source: Getty Images
The former England youth international, alongside Wilfred Ndidi and Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong, are the only three players in the team who have played at a World Cup.
Nigeria missed out on the Qatar 2022 edition after losing to rivals Black Stars of Ghana in the playoff on away goals after a 1-1 draw in Abuja.
If the Super Eagles miss out on this edition in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, it would mean that a generation of players would not play at the World Cup.
NFF president sent a message to Super Eagles stars
Legit.ng reported that NFF president Ibrahim Gusau sent a message to Super Eagles players ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff against Gabon.
The federation president is confident that Nigeria will make it through and that the players have to show the same special spirit as they did against Benin.
Source: Legit.ng
