DR Congo vs Nigeria U23 - Preview: Olympic Eagles Begin Road to 2027 U23 AFCON and LA 2028

Nigeria face DR Congo in Lubumbashi on Friday before hosting the return leg in Ikenne as they pursue a place at the 2027 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles begin their quest for a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games with a two-legged second-round qualifying tie against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The first leg takes place on Friday, 13 November 2026, at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi, with kick-off scheduled for 2pm Nigerian time. The return leg is billed for Tuesday, 17 November, at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State, at 4pm.

The tie is part of the qualifying campaign for the 2027 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. Nigeria must overcome DR Congo over the two legs to advance to the third and final qualifying round.

Chelle absent as assistants take charge

Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle selected Nigeria’s 23-man squad for the encounter but will not lead the team from the touchline because the senior national team also face Tanzania in an AFCON 2027 qualifier on Friday.

Assistant coaches Deniran Ortega and Bright Ozebagbe are expected to oversee the Olympic Eagles in both matches.

Nigeria’s squad combines 15 foreign-based players with eight from domestic clubs. Nasarawa United forward Prince Bawa Oche was called up to replace injured Al-Qadsiah forward Sulaiman Sani.

The squad includes goalkeeper Michael Atata, who has previously received invitations to the senior national team, Molde midfielder Daniel Daga, Fulham midfielder Chibuzor Nwoko and Benfica forward Peter Edokpolor.

All 23 players have arrived in Lubumbashi ahead of the encounter.

First leg to be played behind closed doors

The opening match will be played behind closed doors on security grounds, according to reports from Nigeria’s camp.

DR Congo reached this stage after overcoming Mauritania in the first round, while Nigeria received a bye.

The Congolese side will be looking to take advantage of playing at home, but Nigeria will aim to secure a positive result before the return fixture in Ikenne.

Nigeria’s Olympic history

Nigeria have a strong record in Olympic men’s football, winning gold at Atlanta 1996, silver at Beijing 2008 and bronze at Rio 2016.

However, the country missed the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 editions. The current qualifying campaign therefore offers the Olympic Eagles another opportunity to return to the competition.

The 2027 U-23 AFCON in Egypt will also determine Africa’s representatives for the men’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

For now, Nigeria’s immediate task is to negotiate the challenge of DR Congo. A strong performance in Lubumbashi would put the Olympic Eagles in a better position ahead of Tuesday’s decisive return leg in Ikenne.