By Wale Mustapha
Gabon’s head coach, Thierry Mouyouma, has acknowledged his team’s underdog status but insisted that the Panthers will not be intimidated by Nigeria as they prepare for their 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff semifinal on Thursday in Rabat, Morocco.
Mouyouma admitted that while Gabon is widely considered the outsider in the matchup, the pressure will be on Nigeria, who enter the game as the favourites.
“We know that Nigeria is a great African team and they’re the favourite for this match, but that works in our favour,” Mouyouma told Afrik Foot.
“As underdogs, we’re going into this with less pressure, while Nigeria will be under more scrutiny, which is understandable given their attacking strength.”
Despite Nigeria’s pedigree, the Gabonese coach remained defiant, insisting that his side is not daunted by the challenge.
“While we respect Nigeria and everything they represent, we are not afraid of them,” he said.
“We are well aware of the quality they possess, especially the threats posed by Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman. But we also know that Nigeria is very familiar with us.”
The winner of Thursday’s clash will face the victor of the other semifinal between Cameroon and DR Congo in the final, which is scheduled for next Tuesday.
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.
