2026 World Cup playoffs: Aubameyang warns the Super Eagles ahead of Nigeria vs Gabon
Qualified with his team for the 2026 World Cup playoffs, Pierre Aubameyang is already looking ahead to the clash with Nigeria. And the Panthers’ captain promises to give everything to deliver Gabon its first-ever World Cup qualification.
The captain of Gabon’s Panthers, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, laid out his ambitions ahead of the African playoff semi-final for the 2026 World Cup, scheduled for November 13 against Nigeria. Author of a solid campaign with the Panthers, the Olympique de Marseille forward was one of the architects of Gabon’s second-place finish in Group F, behind Ivory Coast.
L’attaquant gabonais Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
This performance secured his country a spot in the playoff tournament, where they will face the Super Eagles, who comfortably beat Benin (4-0). Aware of the stakes, Aubameyang showed determination to lead his team to a historic first World Cup qualification.
“ We want to go to the World Cup and, to do that, we have to win matches,” he told Standard. “I’m very motivated, and when you have the chance to play in a World Cup qualifier, you have to be even more so.” The winner of this African playoff phase will join the intercontinental tournament held in Mexico in March 2026, where six teams will compete for the two final spots for the World Cup.