Panthers of Gabon head coach Thierry Mouyouma says he will tweak his tactics for the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoffs against the Super Eagles of Nigeria, reports Completesports.com reports.
Mouyouma’s side will be up against the Super Eagles in the first semi-final of the playoffs at the Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan Sports Complex, Rabat on Thursday.
The Panthers have lost only once in the qualifiers but will face a difficult test against the three-time African champions.
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The gaffer reckoned the Super Eagles will be a tough nut to crack for his team, hence the need for him to adjust his tactics.
“We will have to change things against Nigeria, especially on a tactical and even technical level,” he told Gabonese Press Agency.
“It is important that we control the emotion of our opponent. We must make them run after the ball and play behind their lines.”
The highly anticipated encounter will kick-off at 5pm Nigeria time.
By Adeboye Amosu
6 Comments
I will please advise coach Eric Chelle to make sure the super Eagles practice penalty kicks seriously before the play off match against Gabon. Such winner take all knockout matches could potentially end in penalty kicks if care is not taken.
That’s very important.
Barring CHAN results, Nigeria have played 9 matches so far in 2025.
We’ve won 5 (last 2 wins only came last month) and drawn 4 (including unity cup results).
Gabon’s coach has been a little mouthy which most times result in ultra defensive game by such teams.
Kudos to the NFF for acting promptly by changing the SE hotel from that nonsense barrack to a better one, A 4star hotel isn’t bad as we do not need any distraction or whatever night drop the players concentration at the moment. Happy this in a neutral venue to avoid any form of distraction from all this skit makers and all. Go for the win guys.
Won jebi, dem for no change am. I don’t know what is worth praising in the NFF, doing the barest minimum of what their job requires of them.
For qualifiers of this magnitude, where fine lines will define who makes it and who doesn’t, a serious FA would have sent advanced parties that should have gone ahead and put in all necessary logistics in place, and not allowed the players to witness or be distracted by any tantrums or shenanigans. Down to the food and water the players will consume, which will be flown in from Nigeria.
Ask Mamelodi Sundowns how they came into Nigeria armed to the teeth b4 roasting Remo Stars in Abeokuta.
Its this same incompetence that made the SE play a World Cup qualifier on a rugby pitch. The South Africans knew we had a useless FA that is never proactive but always 10 steps behind and rushing to react afterwards. So, of all the good world-class pitches in their country, they took us to a place where our largely Europe-based team would not be able to play optimally.
The issue of the match being refereed by an all-South African refereeing team (including VAR officials) and a Beninoise Referee Assessor, after the Minister of Sports in South Africa went public to declare Nigeria MUST not qualify for the World Cup, is still on the ground. Under their nostrils, such a dastardly choice was made, and they never knew until it was already public.
We’ve still not categorically heard from CAF or FIFA whether the referees will be replaced or not.
Shame on them all.
Nigeria has suddenly become a passerby in African football.
Perhaps, they were trying hard to put under the bus the “presidential task force” on world cup qualification headed by the Lagos state governor and unfortunately met embarrassment instead amid public castigation.
As for the refs, I don’t know if I like FIFA to stick to their guns and automatically put them on the spot ahead of next year’s world cup where more matches will be played needing more referees of whom SA seem to have the best in Africa.
For me oh, FIFA should leave them but in order to seem “fair” (it’s ludicrous NFF hasn’t produced one CAF accredited ref since 2006), they’ll likely pick another nationality.
The SA refs will try too hard to please us which would have been better sha
Gusau and co should not win a second term next year
Nigeria is gaining irrelevance in spite of him and Pinnick appointed into more irrelevant FIFA positions recently
I have repeatedly called for the resignation for Dikko and the FA board run by Gusua. They are simply incompetent.
If (hopefully when) we get to qualify for the world cup, it would be in spite of the inept Sports leadership. They are more of a stumbling block in front of us than the opposition teams we play.
No new stadia.
No innovation, vision or set out goals.
A comatose homefront with a dying league8 male and female)
corrupt and unreliable with the finances.
Perennial debtors.
What’s the point of the failed Sports leadership of Dikko and the dimwits in the FA?
Disgraceful bunch.