The head coach of the Gabonese national team, Thierry Mouyouma, has explained why he decided to call up suspended defender, Mick Onfia for their game against Nigeria.
Nigeria and Gabon will play in the crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff semifinal in Morocco later this month.
Gabon has released their 26-man squad for the crucial encounter with Onfia, who plies his trade with Hafia FC, included.
This is despite the player being unavailable for the first game against the Super Eagles due to a suspension accumulated from two yellow cards.
Many people have questioned the decision to have the defender included in the squad but Mouyouma clarified that his decision was strategic.
He said the decision was aimed at having the player available for the final should Gabon overcome Nigeria.
“Regarding Mick [Onfia], yes, Mick is indeed suspended due to two yellow cards,” Thierry Mouyouma said at Thursday’s press conference.
“But if you look closely, we are playing a semifinal against Nigeria and if we qualify we have a final to play. We have not lost our mind. That’s just what we did.”
Onfia’s two yellow cards came in their 4–0 win over Seychelles in September and their final group-stage game against Burundi on October 14.