Former Super Eagles midfielder Mutiu Adepoju has hailed Nigeria’s stunning extra-time performance in their 4-1 victory over Gabon in the CAF World Cup playoff semi-final in Rabat, Morocco, on Thursday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The Super Eagles produced a resilient display after a tense 90 minutes that ended 1-1, firing three unanswered goals in extra time to book a place in the final, where they will face the winner of the DR Congo versus Cameroon clash.

Speaking on Sporty TV, Adepoju praised the team’s reaction and character in the additional period.

“A very big performance in the extra time for the Super Eagles. The second half of the normal time was tough for the Super Eagles; we even had a chance of scoring the winning goal through Osimhen, but we didn’t,” Adepoju said.

“It’s surprising that we fired up and scored three goals in the extra time. It was a very good performance and the reaction was very good in the extra time. I really liked their performance.”

The match began as a frustrating contest for Nigeria, who dominated possession and spent long spells in Gabon’s half but could not find a breakthrough.

Their persistence finally paid off in the 78th minute when Akor Adams, hero of Nigeria’s earlier 2-1 away win against Lesotho, pounced on a defensive error to give Nigeria a deserved lead.

However, just as the Super Eagles seemed set to close out the game, Gabon equalised in the 89th minute through Mario Lemina, whose deflected shot left goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali helpless and sent the match into extra time.

Nigeria then shifted gears, showing its quality and depth. Chidera Ejuke restored the advantage in the 97th minute after a clever build-up involving Wilfred Ndidi.

Moments later, Osimhen—who had been tightly marked all night—sprang to life with two brilliant goals in quick succession. His angled strike in the 102nd minute made it 3-1, and his composed finish in the 110th minute sealed the 4-1 triumph.

Coach Eric Chelle’s substitutions paid off handsomely, with Frank Onyeka coming in for Adams to strengthen midfield control, whilst Chidozie Awaziem and William Troost-Ekong were introduced late to shore up the defence.

With this victory, Nigeria moved a step closer to securing a return to the FIFA World Cup stage. The Super Eagles now await the outcome of the DR Congo vs Cameroon fixture to determine their final opponent in the CAF playoff decider.