Gabon’s veteran striker and all-time top scorer Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, delivered one of the most unforgettable individual performances in African qualifying history on Friday, scoring all four goals in a dramatic 4-3 victory over The Gambia at the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani in Nairobi.
The stunning display single handedly kept the Panthers’ hopes of reaching the FIFA World Cup 2026 alive.
Aubameyang’s quadruple hands him a spot on an elite list, as he becomes only the seventh man in history to score four goals in a single FIFA World Cup qualifying match for the CAF region.
Speaking to Kenyan media after the chaotic win, which saw him dramatically redcarded, Aubameyang reflected on his clinical performance
“It was important for me to show the way, because the last game against Ivory Coast, I think the whole team played very well, but I was under my performance, and I was not happy with that, so against Gambia, I wanted to show the way, and I did it.”
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang becomes only the seventh player to score four in a CAF World Cup Qualifier
Aubameyang now joins an elite list of some of Africa’s most revered goalscorers.
The first man to achieve this legendary status was the incomparable Roger Milla of Cameroon. In a decisive 6-1 win over Zaire in 1981, Milla’s four goals propelled the Indomitable Lions towards their first ever global appearance at the 1982 World Cup.
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Over two decades later, in 2005, Francileudo Santos of Tunisia delivered his own unforgettable haul. His four goals in a massive 7-0 win against Malawi proved instrumental, providing the crucial goal difference needed for Tunisia to edge out rivals Morocco for a spot at the Germany 2006 FIFA World Cup tournament.
Madagascar’s Faneva Imà Andriatsima also achieved the feat on October 14, 2007, in a preliminary round first leg match against Comoros, netting four goals in a massive 6-2 victory.
Togolese talisman and 2008 African Footballer of the Year, Emmanuel Adebayor, delivered a dominant display during the qualifying stages for the 2010 World Cup.
On October 11, 2008, in a match against Swaziland, Adebayor delivered a sensational haul, leading his side to a decisive 6-0 victory that was central to Togo topping their group and advancing to the final round of the qualifiers.
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Algeria’s Islam Slimani was next in line, with his performance during the opening match of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. Facing Djibouti on September 2, 2021, Slimani was utterly ruthless, scoring four times to anchor a crushing 8-0 victory for the Desert Foxes.
Finally, the group includes Egypt’s current icon, Mohamed Salah. Salah, who already had a qualifying hat trick to his name, was utterly clinical during the current campaign.
His four goals inspired an opening 6-0 victory over Djibouti, in a dominant run that saw The Pharaohs clinch their ticket to the FIFA 2026 World Cup with a match to play.
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The night of heroics, however, took a dramatic turn in the closing minutes. The former Barcelona, Chelsea, and Arsenal forward, now at Marseille, was red carded in the 86th minute against Gambia for two quick yellow card offenses.
Aubameyang sent off, will miss crucial decider against Burundi
The dismissal means Pierre Emerick Aubameyang will be suspended for Gabon’s decisive final group match against Burundi, leaving his team to fight for a potential first ever World Cup appearance without the services of their talisman.