By Wale Mustapha
Nigeria’s Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has highlighted the strengths of Gabon ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff semifinal in Morocco on 13 November.
The Malian tactician acknowledged Gabon’s quality, particularly citing star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but stressed that Nigeria is fully prepared for the challenge.
“They have a very good coach with a good philosophy. This is the finals, and the most important thing is for us to focus on our team,” Chelle said in an interview with Eagle FM.
Chelle added that he is carefully analysing Gabon’s strengths and weaknesses to devise the best strategy for the clash. “My job now is to analyse Gabon and think about the way we must approach the game. Maybe I will like to defend for the entire 90 minutes, or I will increase the pressure on the players,” he explained.
The winner of the Nigeria-Gabon semifinal will advance to face either Cameroon or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the playoff final for a chance to secure one of Africa’s remaining slots at the 2026 World Cup.
Chelle’s comments underline Nigeria’s focus on tactical preparation as the Super Eagles aim to return to football’s biggest stage.
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.
