CAF Confirms Fixtures as Nigeria Set for Gabon Clash in World Cup Playoff

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released the full schedule for the African qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Inter-Continental Play-off tournament. This mini-tournament, running from November 13 to 16, 2025, in Rabat, Morocco, features four nations battling for the right to represent Africa in the final Inter-Continental Play-offs next March.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will kick off their campaign for redemption against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, at 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT). Having narrowly missed the 2022 World Cup, the three-time African champions are determined to reclaim their spot on the global stage. Head coach Eric Chelle “will be eager to see his side respond with conviction after an uneven qualifying campaign.”

Their opponents, Gabon's Panthers, are chasing history, as they have "never qualified for a World Cup and will see this as a golden opportunity to rewrite their footballing history." They will rely on star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to spearhead their challenge.

The second semi-final on the same day pits Cameroon against the Democratic Republic of Congo at 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT).

All matches will be played across two Rabat venues: the El Barid Stadium and Prince Moulay El Hassan Sports Complex. The winners of both semi-finals will meet in the final on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at 20:00 local time.

Only one of the four nations will advance to the FIFA Inter-Continental Play-off in March 2026, which is the final step toward securing Africa’s tenth World Cup slot for the expanded 48-team tournament.