The Super Eagles of Nigeria secured a place in the 2026 World Cup qualifying playoff following a two-match victory against Lesotho and the Republic of Benin…
Former KAA Gent defender Augustine Eguavoen has expressed confidence in Super Eagles of Nigeria’s chances ahead of next month’s 2026 FIFA World Cup play-offs, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 60-year-old tactician insists the team will approach the clash against Gabon with renewed belief and determination to qualify for the World Cup.
Nigeria secured their place in the play-offs after finishing as one of the best runners-up in the CAF qualifying series.
The 2013 AFCON champions, recovering from a difficult campaign, are forcing their way into the decisive stage with an unbeaten run and two crucial victories. The Super Eagles will now face Gabon in Rabat, Morocco, in a must-win semi-final tie.
Eguavoen: What the Former Gent Man Told the Super Eagles
Speaking after Nigeria sealed its playoff ticket, Eguavoen discussed the journey and the country’s renewed optimism.
“Of course everybody’s excited. I’m super excited because we all know what it means to be at the World Cup, and we missed out on the last one. We’ve put that behind us now—the boys know exactly what’s at stake, all of us do. I like the unity so far from Nigerians, and getting this qualification into the play-offs now, I think we will not toy with it.” he told OGTV
The former Super Eagles captain and AFCON-winning coach insisted the team always believed qualification was possible, despite tense moments late in the group campaign.
He added: “Of course we have a chance. From where we’re coming from, all hope was lost. I didn’t lose hope 100% because I still had a lot of faith and belief in the team.
The prayer was that some other countries would drop points, which they did, and here we are. Now that God has given us a lifeline again, we have the quality, we have the personnel, we have everything to go for it. I’m 100% confident that we’ll do it.”
The winner of Nigeria’s clash with Gabon will face either Cameroon or DR Congo for a slot in the inter-continental play-off as the race to reach the World Cup intensifies.
Eric Chelle and his team are expected to resume camp in early November, with the NFF—led by President Ibrahim Musa Gusau—assuring fans that the federation and government are doing everything possible to support the team’s preparations.
Our opponents for the African World Cup playoff semi-final are Gabon .
Win here, reach the final and then the inter-confederation playoffs await.
Save the date ️#SoarSuperEagles | #RoadTo2026 | #FIFAWCQ | #Naija4thewin pic.twitter.com/jJZQH1pJnq
— Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) October 15, 2025
The Super Eagles missed the 2022 World Cup after losing the final qualifying tie to Ghana, and the federation has made returning to the global stage a priority.