Nigeria will face Gabon in the semi-finals of the African zone play-offs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following the conclusion of the qualifying group matches on Tuesday, PUNCH Online reports.
The Super Eagles advanced after a convincing 4–0 victory over Benin earlier in the day, while Gabon secured second place in Group F with a 2–0 win against Burundi, aided by Ivory Coast’s triumph over Kenya.
Elsewhere, DR Congo clinched a 1–0 win over Sudan to finish as runners-up in Group B behind Senegal, while Cameroon joined them after placing second in Group D, behind Cape Verde.
The play-offs—featuring the four best runners-up from the nine African qualifying groups—are scheduled to hold in Morocco from November 13 to 16.
Nigeria, expected to remain the highest-ranked team among the quartet when FIFA’s latest rankings are released on October 23, will take on the lowest-ranked side, Gabon. The other semi-final will see Cameroon battle DR Congo.
Both semi-finals are set for November 13, with the winners facing off in a single-leg final three days later. The overall champion will move on to the inter-confederation play-offs in March 2026, for a chance to qualify for the World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
All matches will be single-leg knockouts, with extra time and penalties if required. CAF will announce the exact venues later.
The Morocco-hosted mini-tournament offers Africa an additional opportunity to secure a spot in the expanded 48-team World Cup, as all nine group winners have already qualified directly for the 2026 finals.
