The Democratic Republic of Congo Football Federation has confirmed that supporters will be allowed into the stadium for Friday's 2028 Olympic Games qualifying encounter between the country's U23 national team and Nigeria's Olympic Eagles.

The announcement comes as a boost for the Congolese team, with supporters reportedly already purchasing tickets for the highly anticipated first-leg encounter scheduled for Friday, November 13, 2026, at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi.

The confirmation has also dismissed earlier reports suggesting that the match would be played behind closed doors following an alleged directive from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, DR Congo U23 head coach Guy Bukasa confirmed that fans would be permitted to attend the encounter and support his players against the Nigerian side.

The presence of home supporters is expected to provide additional motivation for the Congolese team as they seek to capitalise on familiar surroundings and secure an advantage before travelling to Nigeria for the return leg.

DR Congo booked their place in the second round of the qualifying campaign after eliminating Mauritania 2-1 on aggregate.

Bukasa's side initially suffered a 1-0 defeat away from home in the first leg but responded strongly in the return fixture, recording a 2-0 victory on home soil to complete their comeback and advance.

The Congolese side will now look to reproduce that home performance against Nigeria, with the backing of their supporters potentially playing an important role.

Nigeria, however, will be determined to silence the home crowd and secure a favourable result in Lubumbashi before the decisive second leg on home soil.

Both teams understand the importance of the opening encounter, with victory providing a significant advantage in the race to progress further in the 2028 Olympic Games qualifying competition.

The return leg is scheduled for November 17, 2026, at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State.

With Olympic qualification ambitions at stake, Friday's clash promises to be a competitive encounter as DR Congo seek to make home advantage count while the Olympic Eagles aim to take control of the tie.