Nigeria’s Super Eagles have stormed into the Africa playoff final after an emphatic 4–1 victory over Gabon on Thursday night in Morocco, keeping their World Cup qualification hopes firmly on track.
The tightly contested encounter saw both sides locked in a tactical battle for much of the game before Akor Adams of Sevilla broke the deadlock in the 78th minute, capitalising on a defensive blunder to put Nigeria in front.
However, the lead did not last long. In the 89th minute, Mario Lemina’s long-range effort took a huge deflection off Bright Osayi-Samuel, wrong-footing goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali and drawing Gabon level.
The equaliser pushed the tie into extra time, but the Super Eagles quickly reasserted their dominance. Chidera Ejuke, another Sevilla forward, restored Nigeria’s lead in the 98th minute with a composed finish past Loyce Mbaba.
Then came Victor Osimhen’s moment of redemption. Having missed several gilt-edged chances earlier in the match, the Galatasaray striker delivered a stunning response - scoring twice in the 102nd and 110th minutes to complete a resounding win and silence his critics.
The victory sends Nigeria into the playoff final, where they will meet the winner of the other semi-final clash between Cameroon and Congo.
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