Nigeria’s Super Eagles will square off against Gabon in the semi-finals of the African section of the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-offs, following the conclusion of the qualifying group matches on Tuesday.

The three-time African champions sealed their play-off spot after a commanding 4–0 victory over Benin Republic earlier in the day. Gabon, meanwhile, clinched second place in Group F with a 2–0 win against Burundi, aided by Ivory Coast’s emphatic triumph over Kenya to top the group.

Elsewhere, DR Congo edged Sudan 1–0 to finish runners-up in Group B behind Senegal, while Cameroon also advanced after placing second in Group D behind Cape Verde.

The play-offs will feature the four best runners-up from the nine African qualifying groups and are scheduled to take place in Morocco from November 13 to 16.

Nigeria, expected to remain the highest-ranked African side among the four when FIFA releases its updated world rankings on October 23, will face the lowest-ranked team, Gabon. The other semi-final will see Cameroon battle DR Congo.

Both semi-finals are set for November 13, with the winners meeting three days later in a single-leg final.

The overall winner will proceed to the inter-confederation play-offs in March 2026, where they will compete for one of the final spots at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

All matches in the mini-tournament will be single-leg knockouts, with extra time and penalties used if necessary to determine a winner.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed that Morocco will host the event, which provides the continent an additional opportunity to secure a place at the expanded 48-team World Cup.

All nine African group winners have already qualified automatically for next year’s finals, while the upcoming play-offs will determine whether Africa can gain an extra representative through the inter-continental route.