Former Nigerian international Victor Ikpeba has warned that the outcome of Thursday’s 2026 World Cup qualifying playoffs between the Super Eagles and Panthers of Gabon will be determined by the players’ mindset.

With qualification pressure increasing, Nigeria will be aiming to assert dominance and avoid any slip-up.

Recall that the winner of this tie goes on to face either Congo or Cameroon, both of whom would also be slugging it out on the other side of the playoff divide.

Speaking with Bet9ja, the Atlanta Olympic gold medalist stated that the encounter won’t be easy for any of the team.

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“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.”

“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.”

“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.”