Gabon Coach Takes Stylish Dig at Victor Osimhen Ahead of World Cup Playoff
- Gabon national team head coach Thierry Mouyouma aimed a stylish dig at Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen
- Nigeria and Gabon will clash as both countries fight to keep their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification hopes alive
- The Super Eagles are fighting to avoid consecutive absences, while Gabon wants a first appearance at a FIFA World Cup
Gabon national team head coach Thierry Mouyouma aimed a stylish dig at Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen ahead of the World Cup play-off match.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria kept their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup alive by beating Benin 4-0 to reach the play-offs and set a date with Gabon.
Source: Getty Images
Nigeria must qualify for the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada to avoid missing out on consecutive tournaments after failing to qualify for the 2022 edition.
Their opponents, the Panthers of Gabon, have never qualified for the World Cup and will hope to surpass Nigeria and eventually qualify for their maiden tournament.
According to CAF, the match will take place at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, on November 13, 2025, at 8 pm Nigerian time.
Gabon coach aims dig at Osimhen
Gabon announced its 26-man squad for the crucial match against Nigeria via its Instagram page, with the hope of winning and advancing to face either Cameroon or DR Congo.
Strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Denis Bouanga headlined the squad after combining for 14 goals during the group stage of the qualifiers.
The squad also included Galatasaray midfielder Mario Lemina and defender Mick Onfia, who was suspended after yellow card accumulation.
Head coach Thierry Mouyouma, while speaking at the unveiling press conference, made a stylish dig at Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen, who said he would do everything possible to help Nigeria qualify for the World Cup.
“Osimhen said he would do everything to take Nigeria to the World Cup. I think Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has already answered this question and demonstrated by scoring four goals against The Gambia,” he said as quoted by All Nigeria Soccer.
"So, I have almost nothing to say about Osimhen's words.”
Source: Getty Images
Mouyouma downplayed Osimhen’s words as mere motivation and noted that he previously made the same statement before the AFCON final, which he did not fulfil.
“It's motivation, a call to unite his team behind him. But he also said in the last AFCON that he would do everything to bring the cup to Nigeria. Unfortunately, Ivory Coast won,” he added.
“Well, these are motivational words that everyone uses without conviction. It’s his opinion alone.”
Victor Osimhen is determined and will be out to prove Mouyouma wrong and save his generation from the embarrassment of not playing at a World Cup.
Mouyouma confirms plans to stop Osimhen
Legit.ng reported that Thierry Mouyouma disclosed plans to stop Victor Osimhen when Nigeria and Gabon face off in the World Cup playoff.
The former Gabonese international admits that it is part of the job to stop the Nigerian forward, which is crucial to his team to secure victory.
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Source: Legit.ng
