Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles begin their long journey towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games on Friday when they face the Democratic Republic of Congo in the first leg of their second-round 2027 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying tie in Lubumbashi.

The encounter at the TP Mazembe Stadium represents Nigeria’s first competitive fixture in the qualifying campaign after the Olympic Eagles received a bye in the opening round.

DR Congo, meanwhile, earned their place in the second round by eliminating Mauritania 2-1 on aggregate, losing the first leg 1-0 before recovering with a 2-0 victory in Lubumbashi. 

Chelle’s absence

Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle will not be on the touchline in Lubumbashi despite being responsible for the U23 side.

The fixture falls on the same day as the senior Super Eagles’ 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania in Uyo, forcing Chelle to prioritise his senior-team responsibilities.

His assistants, Deniran Ortega and Bright Ozebagbe, are therefore expected to lead the Olympic Eagles against DR Congo. Ortega has been involved with the U23 camp since its opening and has overseen most of the team’s preparations. 

Star quality in Nigeria squad

The Olympic Eagles have assembled a squad featuring 15 foreign-based players and eight players from Nigerian clubs.

Among the notable names are Brighton & Hove Albion forward Zadok Yohanna, Molde midfielder Daniel Daga, Fulham midfielder Chibuzor Nwoko, FC Basel defender Victory Akpe, Benfica forward Peter Edokpolor and goalkeeper Michael Atata.

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

Yohanna, Nwoko and Edokpolor have already expressed confidence ahead of the encounter, with the Brighton forward declaring the team ready to fight for victory in both legs. 

A difficult assignment in Lubumbashi

The Olympic Eagles face a DR Congo side that will have home advantage at the TP Mazembe Stadium.

The first leg is scheduled for 3pm local time in Lubumbashi, which is 2pm Nigerian time. The match is expected to be played behind closed doors on security grounds. 

Ugandan referee Duula Joshua will take charge, assisted by compatriots Brianson Musisi and Katerega Ashiraf, with William Oloya serving as fourth official. Central African Republic’s Jean Marie Koyakobo is the match commissioner. 

For Nigeria, the immediate objective will be to avoid defeat and return home with an advantage ahead of the second leg.

Return leg in Ikenne

The decisive second leg will be played at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on Tuesday, November 17, with the winner of the two-legged tie advancing to the final qualifying round of the U23 AFCON qualifiers. 

The winner of the final qualifying round will secure a place at the 2027 U23 AFCON finals in Egypt.

That tournament carries added significance because it will determine Africa’s representatives for the men’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. CAF has confirmed that 27 teams are competing for 14 places in the third and final qualifying round. 

Nigeria seeking Olympic return

The Olympic Eagles have a strong history in the competition, highlighted by their gold-medal triumph at Atlanta 1996, silver at Beijing 2008 and bronze at Rio 2016.

However, Nigeria failed to qualify for Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, making the current campaign an important opportunity to return to the Olympic stage. 

The road to Los Angeles therefore begins in Lubumbashi.

With a talented squad assembled and the first leg looming, the Olympic Eagles will need to negotiate a difficult away assignment before returning to Nigeria for what promises to be a decisive second leg in Ikenne.