Nigeria has better players - Rohr declares support for Super Eagles to defeat Gabon in World Cup playoff

Former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr believes Nigeria has the superior talent to defeat Gabon in their 2026 World Cup African playoff semi-final.

The Franco-German manager stressed, however, that a strong team performance will be important for victory in the November 13th clash in Rabat.

Rohr, who currently manages the Benin Republic's national team and has previously coached both Nigeria and Gabon, warned the Super Eagles not to underestimate Les Panthères. He acknowledged that Gabon possesses the quality to cause an upset.

"Gabon and Nigeria are two good teams," Rohr told NationSport from Cotonou.

He continued, "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 highlighted former African Footballer of the Year Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as a key threat Nigeria must contain, noting the presence of other seasoned players in the Gabonese squad.

"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 at the other semi-final, Rohr, who has also had coaching stints in Niger, Tunisia, and Burkina Faso, found it difficult to pick a clear winner between Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"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" said the man who led Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

He added, "Again, Cameroon are also facing some administrative problems that may affect their performance, so I think the final could be between Nigeria and DR Congo."