It was a rollercoaster of emotions at the Stade Prince Moulay El Hassan, Rabat, in Morocco, as the Super Eagles of Nigeria sealed a 4-1 win over Gabon, Soccernet.ng reports.
Eric Chelle's men were on top in the first half, but a goal eluded the three-time African Champions as Gabon grew into the game in the second half.
After the restart, chances were hard to come by until an error from Aaron Appindangoye allowed Akor Adams to break the deadlock in the 78th minute.
The Super Eagles head coach opted to shore things up at the back, taking off the goalscorer and bringing Frank Onyeka on.
However, Mario Lemina's deflected effort brought Gabon into the game in the 89th minute, stretching the clash into extra time.
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Extra time saw the Super Eagles step foot on the gas again as Chidera Ejuke found the back of the net in the 98th minute before Victor Osimhen added a double.
Nigeria will now face the winner of the Semi-final play-off between Congo DR and Cameroon on Sunday.
Takeaways from Nigeria's victory over Gabon
Final third problems continue
In the first half of the clash against Gabon, chances were created in abundance for the Nigerian attackers, but they either took a touch too many or just played their shot out wide.
While the creation of chances is a step in the right direction, missing chances in one-off games can sometimes come back to haunt the team, should the opposition find the back of the net.
Victor Osimhen, for all of his profligacy in the 90, redeemed himself with a brace during extra time.
Benjamin Frederick continues solid run
Since making his Super Eagles debut during the 2025 Unity Cup, the 20-year-old has not put a foot wrong in a Nigerian jersey.
Across right and centre-back positions, he's been immense, and tonight, he kept the in-form Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang quiet, denying the former Borussia Dortmund striker a chance to get a shot on target.
Victor Osimhen's heroics
Osimhen's 90-minute cameo tonight wasn't the best, as he scuffed several chances, and while a striker can have bad days, a play-off isn't the place, nor the time, and he's the best striker because he's held to higher standards.
However, a brace in extra time showed he kept his head in the game and didn't allow his missed chances to get to him mentally. He'll be crucial to Nigeria's chances of securing a win on Sunday.
With a brace tonight, the Galatasaray forward is now just six goals behind the legendary Rashidi Yekini in the Super Eagles all-time goalscorer rankings.
World Cup chances truly alive for Nigeria
With a commanding 4-1 win against a free-scoring Gabon away from home, the Super Eagles have not only qualified for the final African play-off, but they've also sent a warning note to their prospective opponents that they'll do whatever it takes to get to the Mundial next year.
A fate with destiny beckons on Sunday, as the players will once again get onto to pitch to prove just how much they want to avoid missing consecutive World Cup places.
