Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the 2026 World Cup qualifying match.
Gabon almost perfectly navigated the main stage of the World Cup qualifiers from CAF, but in the battle with Côte d'Ivoire they fell slightly short. Nigeria barely made it into this additional qualifying match, yet they enter as favourites.
Nigeria
Nigeria accumulated the same number of points (17) as Benin, but finished second in Group C thanks to a better goal difference (+7). They also barely crawled into the top four of second-placed teams, surpassing Burkina Faso by just one goal. Only four victories in 10 rounds do not flatter the team, but the current coach is not actually responsible for the earlier failures. He took charge only in January 2025. With the Malian specialist, they secured four wins and two draws in the last six rounds, including an away draw against the group winners, South Africa (1:1).
Gabon
Gabon conducted their entire successful qualifying campaign under former defender Thierry Mouyouma. He took charge in November 2023, right before the group stage. The team delivered their best-ever return under him – 1.95 points per game across 20 matches. In the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, they lost away only to the group winners Côte d'Ivoire (0:1).
Nigeria vs Gabon Prediction
This tie will be decided in a single match on neutral ground at the Prince Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco. What can Gabon, whose squad is valued at roughly one-tenth of Nigeria’s, achieve against a front line featuring Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman? At most, they can take it to extra time. In a match of this importance, caution should prevail, so we recommend an under 2.5 goals bet.
