Former Super Eagles coach Bonfrere Jo has praised Nigeria’s resilience in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification quest, likening the Super Eagles to “cats with nine lives” as they prepare for a decisive playoff semi-final against Gabon, Footynaija.com reports.
Nigeria’s path to the playoffs was far from smooth. The team struggled early in Group C, drawing key matches and losing unexpectedly to Benin Republic.
However, a late resurgence, powered by Victor Osimhen’s goals and improved performances under new coach Eric Chelle, secured a vital second-place finish and a playoff lifeline.
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Bonfrere, who famously led Nigeria’s Dream Team to Olympic gold at Atlanta 1996 after a dramatic 3–2 win over Argentina, described the Super Eagles as a side blessed with elite talent but faulted their slow start to the qualifying campaign.
What Bonfrere Jo said about the Super Eagles
“Super Eagles have top-class players, all of them playing in big clubs across Europe. Unfortunately, they didn’t start the qualifiers well,” Bonfrere Jo told Complete Sport.
“But it’s good they’ve done well in the last two games and now have the opportunity to be in the play-offs. Like cats with nine lives, they’ll now fight in two matches — first against Gabon, and possibly Cameroon or DR Congo — for the ticket.”
The CAF World Cup playoffs, scheduled to take place from November 13 to 16 in Rabat, Morocco, will see Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon, and DR Congo battle for Africa’s final route to the 2026 World Cup.
The eventual winner will advance to the Inter-Continental Playoffs in March 2026 where they’ll battle for the continent’s last chance to claim a 10th qualification spot.
Nigeria will open their playoff campaign against Gabon at 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT). The encounter will mark the 10th meeting between the two nations, with the Super Eagles holding the upper hand from past meetings (5W, 3D, 1L).
The stakes are high for both nations with Nigeria looking to avoid a second consecutive absence at the World Cup, having missed out in 2022 while Gabon are chasing a historic first-ever World Cup appearance.
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