Nigeria will face Gabon in the semi-finals of the African play-offs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the conclusion of the qualifying group stage on Tuesday.

The Super Eagles secured their spot in the play-offs with an emphatic 4–0 victory over Benin Republic earlier in the day, a result that sealed their place among the four best second-placed teams across the nine qualifying groups.

Gabon, meanwhile, confirmed their qualification after finishing second in Group F, following a 2–0 win over Burundi. Their passage was also aided by Ivory Coast’s dominant victory over Kenya, which saw the Ivorians claim top spot in the group.

Elsewhere, DR Congo booked their play-off ticket with a narrow 1–0 win against Sudan, finishing runners-up in Group B behind Senegal, while Cameroon also progressed after placing second in Group D behind Cape Verde.

The play-offs, featuring Nigeria, Gabon, DR Congo, and Cameroon, will be held in Morocco from November 13 to 16.

According to the tournament format, the two semi-finals will be played on November 13, with the winners advancing to a single-leg final three days later.

The eventual champion will earn a spot in the inter-confederation play-offs scheduled for March 2026, offering Africa a potential extra berth at the expanded 48-team World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Nigeria, expected to remain the highest-ranked team among the four when FIFA releases its updated rankings on October 23, will take on the lowest-ranked side, Gabon, in their semi-final clash. The other fixture will see Cameroon go head-to-head with DR Congo.

All matches will be played as single-leg knockouts in Morocco, with extra time and penalties used to determine the winner if necessary.

The mini-tournament serves as an additional qualifying route for Africa after all nine group winners booked their tickets to the World Cup finals.