The World Cup 2026 African Play-Offs arrive in Rabat with the temperature rising on and off the pitch, Nigeria confront a referee row and a pay dispute, Cameroon wrestle with injuries and boardroom power plays, Gabon and DR Congo sense opportunity and only one nation will keep the path to the intercontinental playoffs alive.
Understanding the format and the road ahead
Four teams, Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon and DR Congo, progressed as the best second-placed finishers from the African qualifiers, they now meet in a compact, neutral-venue mini tournament in Morocco, and the winners of Thursday’s semifinals will contest Sunday’s final for a single African ticket to the intercontinental playoffs.
CAF seeded the ties by FIFA ranking, Nigeria at 41 face Gabon at 77, while Cameroon at 54 meet DR Congo at 60, both matches take place in Rabat at the Prince Moulay Hassan Stadium and the Al Barid Stadium respectively.
Whoever lifts the trophy on Sunday moves to a six-team intercontinental playoff in March 2026, that bracket includes two CONCACAF teams and one each from Asia, Oceania and South America, the two highest-ranked teams in that field receive a bye to the final round of their bracket and two winners book the last World Cup berths.
For fans, the games will be shown on Supersport, Sporty TV and StarTimes for Kenyan audiences, other options include L’Équipe live foot, Gabon Première, Sporty, beIN SPORTS and the official CAF website.
Nigeria vs Gabon a contest shaped by talent and tension
Nigeria’s road here was a rollercoaster, a FIFA deduction of three points from South Africa for fielding an ineligible player briefly swung Group C, South Africa’s response against Rwanda then confirmed Nigeria for the playoffs, and the Super Eagles closed with a morale-boosting 4-0 win over Benin Republic.
Across ten matches Nigeria collected 17 points with four wins, five draws and one defeat, a goal difference of plus seven adds balance to a recent six-match unbeaten run, and momentum matters when the margins are thin.
Head coach Eric Chelle welcomes an enviable front line, Victor Osimhen arrives in hot form and is set to link with Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze, Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi provide screen and craft in midfield and Stanley Nwabali is expected to start behind a back four featuring Frederick, William Troost-Ekong, Calvin Bassey and Bruno Onyemaechi.
There are caveats, Ola Aina remains sidelined after surgery and defender Semi Ajayi, booked against Benin Republic, is likely to be managed carefully to keep him ready should Nigeria reach the final.
Gabon’s case for belief is strong, Thierry Mouyouma’s side finished runners-up to Ivory Coast in Group F with 25 points from ten games, eight wins, one draw and just one defeat, and a 22 to 9 goal tally underlines a smart mix of punch and organization.
Since a heavy loss to Morocco in AFCON qualifying, Gabon are unbeaten in seven across competitions, a wild 4-3 over Gambia showcased the evergreen brilliance of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who scored all four, while Denis Bouanga’s running offers a sharp transition threat.
The Panthers have had to juggle absences though, Jim Allevinah, Shavy Babicka, Medwin Biteghe, Michel Mboula and Junior Noubi Fotso are out injured, Oumar Bagnama was omitted due to match fitness, and the only new face is young centre-back Jonathan do Marcolino.
Tactically, Nigeria are likely to toggle between a 4-3-3 and a 4-4-2, wide overloads and quick ball circulation through Ndidi and Iwobi feed Osimhen’s timing and aerial menace, while Gabon could tighten with a 3-4-3 or 4-2-3-1 and look to spring Bouanga and Aubameyang into space.
History leans toward the Super Eagles, five wins in nine meetings against only one for Gabon with three draws, their last clash in 2005 went Nigeria’s way with a 2-0 result, yet the neutral setting of the Prince Moulay Hassan Stadium keeps the door ajar for a surprise.
Referee appointment stirs debate yet focus remains on football
South African referee Abongile Tom will take charge of Nigeria vs Gabon with compatriot Zakhele Siwela assisting and Akhona Makalima on VAR, the appointment sparked debate in Nigeria given the well-known football rivalry with South Africa.
Former NFF board member Barrister Chris Green urged calm in comments reported by Sports247, he called the noise a distraction, insisted referees would act professionally and argued that Nigeria should concentrate on discipline, preparation and building respectful relations with match officials.
Some stakeholders expressed unease, citing historical tensions, but experts counter that FIFA’s process is designed to ensure neutrality and that professionalism should prevail, ultimately, the game will be decided by execution not innuendo.
Pay dispute clouds the Super Eagles camp
On the eve of kickoff a new twist arrived, players and staff boycotted training due to unpaid allowances and match bonuses, some reportedly dating back to 2019, a stark reminder of the off-field hurdles Africa’s best often endure.
Journalist Oluwashina Okeleji reported the action on X and captain William Troost-Ekong amplified the message, he urged patience while a solution is found and pushed back at any rumor beyond the rightful request for what is owed, the team’s wish is to focus on the big games ahead.
For Nigeria, the math is simple, resolve the issue swiftly, empty the mind of noise and let the football breathe, because the cost of another missed World Cup would linger far longer than any training session skipped.
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Cameroon vs DR Congo history presses on and present intrudes
Cameroon arrive with a legacy that dwarfs all on the continent, eight previous World Cup appearances give the Indomitable Lions a hard-earned aura, yet an inconsistent campaign handed Group D to Cape Verde and left Marc Brys’s team with 19 points from ten qualifiers.
There is a base to trust, Cameroon conceded only six across those ten games and have won four of their last five away in 2025, but they have been guilty of leaving chances behind and in knockout football the price for waste is often steep.
Personnel and balance were trending up in camp, the return of Jean Onana and Yvan Neyou bolstered the core and Bryan Mbeumo supplied invention out wide, lurking selection questions involved Vincent Aboubakar, Karl Etta Eyong and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting up front, with Georges-Kévin Nkoudou or Moumi Ngamaleu pushing for wing minutes.
Then came a hard blow, Reuters reported that Choupo-Moting has suffered a knee sprain and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa pulled up with a hamstring problem, both were ruled out of the DR Congo clash and goalkeeper Andre Onana is a doubt following an ankle issue.
Those updates alter the chessboard, Anguissa’s ability to dictate tempo and protect transitions has been a pillar and his absence shifts responsibility toward Carlos Baleba in the 4-3-3 that Brys has favored, it also places a premium on Cameroonian ruthlessness when chances arise.
DR Congo under Sébastien Desabre have the look of a side forged by setbacks, the Leopards were minutes from winning their group before a 3-2 loss to Senegal despite leading by two goals, they recovered to beat Sudan 1-0 and finished with 22 points, only two shy of the champions.
Recent form is crisp, seven wins in their last eight across competitions and fewer than one goal conceded per game in 2025 speak to structure and discipline, they are compact without the ball and incisive when it turns over.
Injuries have clipped some of their edge, Yoane Wissa is out with a knee problem, but Chancel Mbemba anchors the back line and Cédric Bakambu leads the attack after top scoring in qualifying with four, the defense should feature Arthur Masuaku, Axel Tuanzebe, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Mbemba in front of Lionel Mpasi, while Samuel Moutoussamy, Edo Kayembe and Mukau stabilize midfield.
History tugs the narrative toward Cameroon, they are unbeaten in their last nine meetings with DR Congo with six wins and three draws including a 2-1 victory at the 2021 African Nations Championship quarter-final, yet World Cup qualifying meetings between these nations have been far more balanced.
Inside Cameroon’s call-up storm and a teenager’s choice
Just as the semifinal loomed another saga simmered, Bayer Leverkusen forward Christian Kofane, 19 years old with four goals and four assists in 15 matches this season for his club, declined a senior call-up and passed on a possible debut.
His agent Eric Depolo confirmed to Kicker that the player would remain with his club this window, the decision arrives amid an ongoing power struggle between federation president Samuel Eto’o and coach Marc Brys and the German outlet reported Depolo’s closeness to Eto’o, including the pair watching Leverkusen against Paris Saint-Germain together.
Kicker added that Brys submitted his squad in writing and traveled directly to Morocco rather than attend the announcement in Cameroon, results have held up so far, but the fear is familiar, such turbulence eventually taxes performance.
What to watch in Rabat
- Nigeria vs Gabon at 19.00, Osimhen’s movement and Lookman’s return against Aubameyang’s finishing will tilt the balance,
- Cameroon vs DR Congo at 22.00, the Lions must solve injuries while the Leopards trust their compact shape and fast breaks,
- the final on Sunday, one survivor advances to the intercontinental playoff in March.
Numbers meet nuance
Previews point to a lively semifinal between Nigeria and Gabon, both sides have been scoring freely in 2025 and an over 2.5 goals scenario is plausible, Nigeria’s depth and wide play should gradually tug the contest their way if composure holds.
Across the city, small details may define Cameroon against DR Congo, the Indomitable Lions carry superior experience and a historical edge, the Leopards counter with a well-drilled block and coolness in tight scorelines, a narrow result, possibly after extra time, would surprise nobody.
However it unfolds, the stakes add weight to every touch, the winners meet on Sunday with a continental ticket at stake and a date with the world in March, for Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon and DR Congo the dream is still vivid, but it now shares space with pressure, politics and the body’s limits.
