2026 WCQ Playoffs: Ikpeba warns Nigeria to be wary of Aubameyang

Former Nigerian international Victor Ikpeba has called on Nigeria to keep a close eye on on-form Gabon striker and captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang when the two sides face off in the 2026 World Cup qualifying playoffs on Thursday.

The Super Eagles will face the Panthers in a two-legged affair with the first leg slated for Morocco. However, according to Ikpeba, while Nigeria stand a chance to qualify to the final round, they must be wary of the former Arsenal captain.

In the league, Aubameyang has so far scored four goals for Ligue 1 club Marseille from 10 matches and provided two assists. For Gabon in the World Cup qualifiers, Aubameyang has contributed seven goals. He scored a brace to down Kenya 2-1 and stepped up against Gambia where he notched four goals in a 4-3 comeback win.

Aubameyang is back in form

“We have to focus on Gabon. It’s all about the mindset. The game is going to be in Morocco, on neutral ground. Gabon tends to play well away from home, and most of their players play in France.

“Aubameyang is back in form – with his age and experience, we have to tighten up at the defense. It’s not going to be a giveaway. You have to earn it,” Ikpeba told Bet9ja as quoted by Complete Sports.

“On paper, when you look at the Nigerian squad, maybe only Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, or Ghana can produce the type of players we have. It’s left for the boys to do this. This play-off should be an inspiration for them to go and look for the ticket to qualify for the World Cup, but they have to fight for every game now.”

He added: “It’s no longer the group stage. It’s another type of mini tournament. So, Gabon is there, Cameroon, and Congo will not be easy fixtures. So we know the difficulty of getting past these teams in getting to the (Inter-Continental) play-off.

“I think all the players have done well to get to the playoffs, but we must improve. Improvement must come in the playoffs, and that we have to be businesslike against this Gabon side because it’s just one game, so there’s no calculation at all,” he continued.

“I’m very, very optimistic that we’re going to do the job against Gabon.”

⚽ Follow Pan-Africa Football across platforms for real-time news and stories.