Super Eagles forward Samuel Chukwueze has praised the togetherness within the Nigerian squad after their hard-fought 4–1 extra-time win over Gabon in the semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoffs. He also made it clear that the team’s mindset has already shifted to the crucial final coming up on Sunday.
Nigeria sealed the result in Morocco by dominating extra time, where they scored three goals without reply to comfortably book their spot in the playoff final.
Speaking after the match, Chukwueze said the celebration would be short-lived.
“We’ll enjoy this one for a moment, but the focus has to go straight to Sunday’s game,” he told Victor Modo.
“That match is the key one. We’ve done our job today, and now everything switches to Sunday.”
When questioned about Nigeria’s resilience and the recent attacking improvement—four goals scored in each of their last two games—Chukwueze pointed to one major factor: unity.
“It comes from working as a group. The whole team is united. We move as one, and the coach has shown great trust in us.
“We’ve been building up to this since around March, and the support has been consistent. This is the moment to stay locked in and give our all.”
Chukwueze also shared a message for Nigerian supporters, many of whom believe the Super Eagles are close to returning to the FIFA World Cup after missing out on Qatar 2022.
To those fans, he had a simple message: keep faith.
“They should continue believing. Keep dreaming. Trust this team,” he said.
Nigeria now prepare for Sunday’s decisive showdown with DR Congo, where victory would secure their place in the Intercontinental Playoffs scheduled for March 2026.
