World Cup Playoff: Nigeria Face Gabon, Cameroon Battle DR Congo

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have been drawn against Gabon for the CAF World Cup qualifying playoff, scheduled to take place from November 13 to 16, in Morocco.

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon will face the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second playoff match.

The winners of these two matches will meet in a winner-takes-all playoff final. The victor in Morocco will advance to the Six-Team Intercontinental Playoff, set to be held in the Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey in March next year, where two teams will qualify for the finals in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

The squad, led by Coach Eric Chelle, secured their place in the CAF playoff following a 4-0 thrashing of Benin on Tuesday in Uyo, finishing second behind Group C winners South Africa with 17 points, but ahead of Benin on goal difference, as both teams ended with 17 points.

Under CAF’s new method for calculating the second-placed teams across the nine groups, following Eritrea’s withdrawal from the competition, Nigeria accumulated 15 points with a goal difference of plus seven, compared to Burkina Faso’s 15 points and a goal difference of plus six.

The winner of the African playoff will be joined by Bolivia, New Caledonia, two teams from Central America, and one from Asia for the Six-Team Intercontinental Playoff.