Nigeria and Gabon were locked at 1–1 in the dying seconds of regular time. With just a single second left before the match moved into extra time, what happened next left an entire nation in disbelief.
Victor Osimhen suddenly found himself in a full breakaway from midfield, completely alone in front of Gabon’s goal. It was the moment every Nigerian fan had prayed for — Napoli’s star striker racing forward with nothing between him and a place in the playoff final. The expectation inside the stadium and across millions of screens was absolute. This was supposed to be the winning moment.
But instead, football delivered one of the strangest and most unbelievable scenes ever witnessed in a World Cup qualifier.
As Osimhen approached the box, something unexpected happened. His decision in that split second shocked everyone. The chance collapsed in the most dramatic and puzzling fashion, leaving every Nigerian player falling to the ground in disbelief. The commentator could hardly form words, stunned by what he had just seen.
In a match where Nigeria had fought fiercely, this final moment became the headline no one could have imagined. Fans, players, and even the coaching staff stood frozen, trying to process how a golden opportunity transformed into one of the most bewildering moments in recent Nigerian football history.
Watch the final chance of the game — Osimhen’s reaction, the stunned silence of the stadium, and the extraordinary disbelief from the Nigerian bench — a moment that will be talked about for years.
