The dream of taking part in the World Cup has finally shattered for former Bundesliga striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The 36-year-old lost with Gabon on Thursday in the African playoffs in Rabat/Morocco 1:4 (1:1, 0:0) after extra time against Nigeria and will therefore miss the 2026 finals with his country in the USA, Canada and Mexico. At the start of the 2030 World Cup, Aubameyang will be close to his 41st birthday.
Aubameyang, now at the traditional French club Olympique Marseille, scored a total of 98 Bundesliga goals for Borussia Dortmund between 2013 and 2018. His home country has never qualified for a World Cup.
In the final for a ticket to the intercontinental playoffs, in which two more World Cup participants are being sought, Nigeria will face DR Congo, which eliminated five-time African champions Cameroon 1-0 (0-0).