Nigeria’s Super Eagles resumed training on Wednesday evening as attention turns to Thursday’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup Africa playoff semi-final clash against the Panthers of Gabon.
The pay dispute that disrupted Tuesday’s training session has now been resolved, allowing the players to fully concentrate on the task ahead—securing victory over the Gabonese and advancing to Sunday’s playoff final.
The three-time African champions trained at the Institut Royal de Formation des Cadres in Salé, on the outskirts of Rabat, under an intense and focused atmosphere.
President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, expressed strong confidence in the team’s readiness and determination.
“We believe in the players and their ability to make Nigeria proud—not only on Thursday, but throughout these playoffs. We have a team capable of earning a World Cup ticket,” Gusau said.
NFF Technical Director and former Super Eagles coach, Augustine Eguavoen, echoed the president’s optimism while acknowledging the recent challenges.
“These boys that I know and have worked with are hungry for the FIFA World Cup. Every professional footballer dreams of playing on that stage,” he said.
“The timing of their protest was not ideal, but I have complete faith that they’ll rise to the occasion and deliver both on Thursday and in Sunday’s final.”
Thursday’s high-stakes encounter at the Complexe Sportif Prince Héritier Moulay Al Hassan in Rabat will kick off at 5 p.m. Nigeria time. It will mark the 10th meeting between the two nations, with Nigeria winning five of the previous nine matches, drawing three, and losing just once—a 1990 World Cup qualifier in Libreville that ended 2–1 in Gabon’s favor.
Fans can look forward to a thrilling contest as two of Africa’s most lethal forwards—Victor Osimhen of Nigeria and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon—go head-to-head. Aubameyang netted all four of Gabon’s goals in their away win over Gambia, while Osimhen struck twice away to Rwanda and added three more at home against Benin Republic in the qualifiers.
