Gabon Coach Discloses Tactics to Frustrate Super Eagles in World Cup Playoff
- Gabon national team head coach Thierry Mouyouma has hinted at his tactics against Nigeria in the World Cup play-off
- Mouyouma wants to play tactics from the old tricks book of frustrating the opponent in the single-legged game
- The Panthers and the Super Eagles will clash at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, on November 13
Gabon national team head coach Thierry Mouyouma has dropped a hint of his tactics against the Super Eagles of Nigeria ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-off.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will face the Panthers of Gabon in the semi-final of the African playoff for the 2026 World Cup at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on November 13.
Source: Getty Images
According to FIFA, the winner of the match will face the winner of the match between Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo for a chance to participate in the intercontinental play-offs in Mexico in March 2026.
Gabon coach hints at tactics against Nigeria
Gabon coach Mouyouma has dropped a hint of what tactics the Super Eagles should expect when the two sides face off in Morocco on November 13.
The former Gabonese international, while unveiling his squad, claimed that his team only needs one goal to progress, which suggests he could go for an early attack and defend for the rest of the game.
“One of the keys to this match lies in the ability to control not only the game but also the midfield,” Mouyouma said at the press conference as quoted by ANS.
“I would be more focused on our ability to hold onto the ball, have more possession, not just possession for its own sake, but to dominate in our half of the field and progress together as a team.”
The coach added that his team will focus on retaining possession and starving Nigeria of the ball, where they have technical players who can hurt them.
Source: Getty Images
“It's because in possession, there's a phase where, when the opponent does not have the ball, the opponent tends to get frustrated. It is important that we control the ball, that we control our opponent's emotions,” he added.
“You have to dominate possession, you have to get the opponent to run after the ball and play behind their lines because in reality what this team wants to do with their players is to find spaces behind us.”
Mouyouma discussing his tactics openly could play into Nigeria’s advantage, as Eric Chelle has proven to be a flexible manager who can adapt to his opponents.
Super Eagles camp in Rabat, and six players have arrived, including Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, Samuel Chukwueze, Tolu Arokodare, and Olakunle Olusegun were the first players alongside the members of the technical crew.
Aubameyang sent a message to Nigeria
Legit.ng reported Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sent a message to Nigeria with a goal for Olympique Marseille ahead of the international break.
The 37-year-old will lead the line alongside Los Angeles FC striker Denis Bouanga and could be a problem for the Super Eagles' defence during the playoff.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
