By Dayo Awoniyi
Former Nigeria international Dimeji Lawal has called on Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle to select only players who are fully committed and ready to give their all in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff against Gabon.
The decisive encounter is scheduled for Thursday, November 13, in Morocco, and will mark the 10th meeting between the two nations.
Nigeria will aim to extend their dominance over the Panthers, while Gabon — led by coach Thierry Mouyouma — seek a historic first victory and a spot in the playoff final.
Speaking ahead of the tie, Lawal stressed that this crucial stage of the qualifiers demands total focus and effort from every player chosen for national duty.
“The Super Eagles head coach must make the right decision at this stage by inviting players who are prepared to give their utmost effort to help Nigeria qualify for the 2026 World Cup,” Lawal said.
“There is no room for errors. He must invite players who understand the task at hand because they must not jeopardize this second chance to qualify. Gabon are a good team, but the Super Eagles remain the best.”
Nigeria will look to draw inspiration from their superior record against Gabon as they push for a return to the FIFA World Cup, having missed out on the 2022 edition in Qatar.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
