‘Gabon Has a Better Team’ – Ex-Burkina Faso Star Tips Panthers to Upset Super Eagles

Former Burkina Faso international Alain Traore has dismissed the idea that Gabon are underdogs in their 2026 World Cup qualifying playoff against Nigeria. The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations standout believes the Panthers have both the talent and structure to shock the Super Eagles when they meet on Thursday in Rabat.

While Nigeria struggled through the qualifiers and only secured a playoff spot after a late surge, Gabon narrowly missed automatic qualification despite having the highest points total among the non-qualifiers. The Panthers boast big names such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mario Lemina, and Didier Ndong — players with strong experience in Europe.

Nigeria, however, have been plagued by off-field issues, with players recently boycotting a training session over unpaid bonuses. In contrast, Thierry Mouyouma’s Gabonese squad has been in focused preparation in Morocco since Monday.

Traore, who scored three goals at Afcon 2013, said on Canal+’s Talents d’Afrique that “Gabon has a better team and a better organization... Gabon is now a certainty.” He added that Nigeria’s performances were largely unimpressive during the qualifiers.

The Super Eagles will hope to maintain their 36-year unbeaten streak against Gabon as both teams fight for a spot in the final round of the World Cup playoffs.