RABAT: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could crown a chequered international career with success in the African World Cup playoff in Morocco this week but Gabon are very much the outsiders as four countries look to keep alive hopes of making next year’s finals.
Gabon meet Nigeria in Rabat on Thursday, followed by a clash between Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo, in a playoff tournament for the four best runners-up across the nine already-concluded African qualifying groups.
The nine winners are automatically through to next year’s finals in Canada, Mexico and the US but this week’s mini-tournament offers the possibility of a 10th representative for the continent.
Thursday’s two winners will meet in a final on Sunday to determine the African side that advances to the inter-continental playoff in March, where the last places for the 48-team World Cup will be determined.
French-born Aubameyang won the African Footballer of the Year award 10 years ago on the back of his scoring exploits with Borussia Dortmund and has been Gabon’s talisman since his first cap in 2009 but never able to steer his country to international success despite them twice hosting the Africa Cup of Nations.
The 36-year-old’s 80-cap tally might have been substantially higher had he not clashed with administrators and coaches and more than once temporarily retired from international football
CHANCE IN TWILIGHT OF CAREER
But now in the twilight of his career, Aubameyang has a chance to take the small central African country to a first ever World Cup if he can keep up his form of recent months.
The striker scored all four goals as Gabon beat the Gambia 4-3 in last month’s qualifier before finishing second in their group and has pitched in with goals for Olympique de Marseille since his return to Ligue 1 from a spell in .
Aubameyang will share the same pitch on Thursday with one of his successors, 2023 Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen, who leads Nigeria’s hopes of a seventh World Cup finals appearance.
Cameroon have qualified for eight previous World Cups, more than any other African side, but their qualifying campaign has been overshadowed by frequent skirmishes between government-appointed coach Marc Brys and federation president Samuel Eto’o.
DR Congo’s only previous World Cup appearance was over half a century ago when the country was known as Zaire. They were leading their group but let a two-goal advantage at home to Senegal slip and lost 3-2 to finish second and have to try again in the playoffs.
However, Yoane Wissa’s absence through injury is a blow to their chances.
