Super Eagles’ Opponent for World Cup Playoff Final Confirmed After Beating Gabon
- The Super Eagles of Nigeria will face the Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the playoff final
- Nigeria defeated the Panthers of Gabon 4-1 after 120 minutes at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco
- DR Congo scored a late goal through Chancel Mbemba to knock Cameroon out and book a final with the Super Eagles
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will face the Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the final of the African tourney for the World Cup playoffs.
Nigeria defeated the Panthers of Gabon 4-1 after extra time, thanks to goals from Akor Adams, Chidera Ejuke and a brace from Victor Osimhen.
As noted by the NFF, Gabon dragged the game to extra time after Osimhen’s Galatasaray teammate Mario Lemina scored with a fierce shot that deflected and wrong-footed Stanley Nwabali.
Nigeria proved too much for the Panthers in the extra time, and Osimhen, who missed two glorious chances in the regulation time, redeemed himself with two brilliant goals.
DR Congo scored a late goal through Chancel Mbemba to punish the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, who had wasted a plethora of chances.
Nigeria to face DR Congo in World Cup playoff
As noted by CAF, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will clash with the Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, November 16, 2025.
The final match will take place at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, the same stadium where Nigeria made light work of Gabon.
Nigeria has another chance to qualify for the World Cup for the seventh time in history and become the 10th African at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Congo are aiming for their first FIFA World Cup appearance since the 1974 edition in West Germany, when the country was still called Zaire.
NFF president sends message to Super Eagles
The Super Eagles of Nigeria overcame multiple issues in camp, one of which was a protest by the players over months of unpaid bonuses by the Nigeria Football Federation.
The players refused to train on Tuesday evening as scheduled, but had an extensive training which lasted over three hours on Wednesday after the incident was resolved.
NFF President Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau applauded the performance despite the circumstances and believes that the team has what it takes to win the final.
“We are happy with the result. The players rose stoutly to the occasion and made Nigeria proud with a solid performance. No doubt, they have that grit, guts and winning mentality to conquer whoever turns out to be the opposition [DR Congo] in Sunday’s Final,” he said.
Why Gabon was denied a penalty
Legit.ng explained why Gabon was denied a penalty during their 4-1 loss to Nigeria, despite South African referee Abongile Tom checking the VAR monitor.
Birmingham City defender Bright Osayi-Samuel pulled Aaron Appindagoye’s shirt in the box, but the contact was deemed insufficient to have fallen the defender in a decisive moment.
Source: Legit.ng
