- As Super Eagles aim to soar over Gabon, Cameroon, DR Congo
All but one team will be eliminated by the end of this week’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers African Play-Offs as four countries chase after a spot in the finals.
The four protagonists set to set Rabat, the Moroccan capital on fire for three days are Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gabon and Nigeria.
Interestingly, between the foursome, they have together featured in 15 previous tournaments, with the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon holding an African record eight previous World Cup appearances, including the last tournament in Qatar in 2022.
At the 1990 finals hosted by Italy, the Cameroonians became the first African country to reach the competition’s quarter-finals stage
In tow is Nigeria’s Super Eagles with six finals to their credit, the most recent one being in Russia 2018.
For The Leopards of DR Congo, they were finalist in 1974 when the country was still called Zaire, while The Panthers of Gabon are yet to have a feel of the global football showpiece at that highest level.
Notwithstanding past history and achievements, the quartet all have an equal chance to improve their records this week in a potentially thrilling knockout tournament where there will be no second chances.
On Thursday, 13th November 2025, in Rabat, Nigeria will take on Gabon in the first match followed by Cameroon against DR Congo later the same evening.
The two winners will meet in the Moroccan capital on Sunday to decide who advances to the World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament, featuring two finals. Here, winners of the two semi-finals between the unseeded teams will face the two seeded teams, with the eventual winners securing two spots at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The African Play-Offs winners will join Bolivia (CONMEBOL) and New Caledonia (the OFC), plus teams from Asia and CONCACAF, at the six-nation Play-Off Tournament during the international match window from 23 to 31 March 2026.
Among the four teams on parade in Morocco this week, Nigeria, the highest ranked, only just managed to make the list of the four best runners-up across the nine African qualifying groups for the 2026 finals.
Importantly, Nigeria’s last goal in their 4-0 victory over Benin Republic in Uyo last month proved enough to secure them a spot, and they go into the playoffs with a marked improvement in form after a slow start to their qualifying campaign, which saw them fail to win any of their first four group matches.
Gabon amassed 25 points, following eight wins and a draw in their 10 Group F matches, finishing one point behind Côte d’Ivoire.
They will be hoping that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has kept his scoring boots on after the four goals he netted against The Gambia last month.
DR Congo finished two points behind Senegal in their group, while Cameroon were four points adrift of their group leaders, Cape Verde.
Both the Indomitable Lions and Leopards have a long history of crunch encounters behind them but have not played a full international against each other in a decade.
Their most recent clash was the 2015 friendly in Belgium that ended in a one-all (1-1) draw.
