Nigeria will face Gabon in the semi-finals of the African section of the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-offs, following the conclusion of the qualifying group matches on Tuesday.
The Super Eagles sealed their place with a dominant 4–0 win over Benin Republic earlier in the day, while Gabon secured second place in Group F after a 2–0 victory over Burundi, helped by Ivory Coast’s win against Kenya to top the group.
Elsewhere, DR Congo claimed the runner-up spot in Group B with a tight 1–0 victory over Sudan, finishing behind Senegal, while Cameroon also advanced as Group D runners-up behind Cape Verde.
The play-offs will feature the four best runners-up from the nine African qualifying groups and will be held in Morocco from November 13 to 16, 2025.
Nigeria, expected to remain the highest-ranked African team among the four when FIFA releases its updated rankings on October 23, will take on Gabon, who are the lowest-ranked side in the play-offs. Cameroon will battle DR Congo in the other semi-final.
Both semi-finals are scheduled for November 13, with the winners meeting three days later in a single-leg final.
The overall winner of the mini-tournament will progress to the inter-confederation play-offs in March 2026, for one of the final spots at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
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The matches will be single-leg knockouts, and if the scores are level after 90 minutes, extra time and penalties will determine the winner.
Morocco will host the entire play-off event, giving Africa another chance to secure an additional representative at the expanded 48-team World Cup.
So far, nine African teams — Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, Ghana, and Cape Verde — have already qualified directly for next year’s tournament. The upcoming play-offs will decide whether the continent can add a tenth African flag to the global stage.
