Former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr believes that Nigeria possesses the superior talent necessary to defeat Gabon in the 2026 World Cup African playoff semi-final. The crucial single-leg match is scheduled for November 13 in Rabat, Morocco. The Franco-German manager, who currently manages the Benin Republic and has coached both Nigeria and Gabon in the past, emphasized that despite the individual talent, a strong collective team performance will be essential for victory.Rohr, known for his deep knowledge of West African football, cautioned the Super Eagles against underestimating Les Panthres, acknowledging that Gabon has the quality to cause an upset."Gabon and Nigeria are two good teams," Rohr stated. "Some of their (Gabonese) players are still the same ones I worked with between 2010 and 2012 when we reached the quarter-finals of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)."The veteran coach specifically highlighted former African Footballer of the Year Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as a key threat Nigeria must contain, alongside veteran defender Bruno Ecuele Manga."Aubameyang was a young player at that time (2012), and their captain, Bruno Ecuele Manga, is still there. But I think Nigeria has better players. If they play collectively like they did against Benin, I think they can beat Gabon," he explained.Looking ahead to the other semi-final, which features Cameroon against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rohr, who led Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup, offered a nuanced prediction."The winner of the final ticket will be difficult to predict because the match between Cameroon and DR Congo will not be easy. Perhaps, DR Congo is a bit stronger because they have individually better quality players than Cameroon," he observed. He suggested that Cameroon's performance might be hindered by "administrative problems," leading him to predict that "the final could be between Nigeria and DR Congo."
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