Nigeria vs Gabon: African drama on the road to the World Cup

The night in Rabat turned into a rollercoaster of emotions. Gabon managed to equalize in the 89th minute after Nigeria’s early lead that seemed to seal their qualification—but the story had another ending. In extra time, Chidera Ejuke broke the deadlock, and Victor Osimhen sealed the 4–1 win with two masterful goals.

The victory sends Nigeria into the African playoff final, where they’ll face either Cameroon or the Democratic Republic of Congo. Only the winner of that mini-tournament will earn a place in the intercontinental playoff for the World Cup.
It felt like Nigeria escaped disaster just in time: they dominated, missed chances, and paid for a costly defensive mistake that gave Gabon life. But when the script flipped, they found the ruthlessness they had been missing.

Mistakes, screamers, and the rise of Osimhen

It looked like a comfortable victory for Nigeria when Akor Adams capitalized on a disastrous back-pass from Gabon in the 78th minute to put the Super Eagles ahead.

However, the psychological blow came in the 89th minute when Mario Lemina deflected a shot past the Nigerian goalkeeper. The equalizer planted seeds of doubt, an entire advantage gone, and a new dark chapter unfolding.

Then came Victor Osimhen. After missing a sitter in added time, he redeemed himself in extra time: his first goal came in the 102nd minute, and the second in the 110th, killing off any Gabonese hopes. Ejuke had already made it 2–1 in the 97th minute.

Osimhen proved he’s not just there to shine, he provided the assist for Ejuke’s goal, worked tirelessly off the ball, and when the moment demanded, he struck like a predator. Nigeria found its attacking compass in its star striker.

Gabon fought bravely but ran out of gas

The psychological impact was immense. Nigeria gained confidence, while Gabon lost momentum. Despite having moments to force a penalty shootout, they faced a more composed and powerful opponent in the minutes that mattered.

A lack of sharpness in attack combined with physical fatigue drained their energy. Once Osimhen and Ejuke turned up the tempo, there was no stopping Nigeria. Gabon had believed, they just couldn’t hold on.

The road continues for Nigeria: pressure, aspiration, reality

With this victory, Nigeria keeps alive its hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. But the road ahead remains winding. They will have to win the African playoff final and then overcome the intercontinental playoff.
The good news: they showed character. The bad news: their fragility in the final minutes of normal time. If they don't fine-tune their game against their next opponent, they could find themselves in trouble.
For Osimhen, this match was a sign of maturity: he failed, he suffered, he led, and he delivered. And for the coach, he now has a reliable offensive weapon.