Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles have been drawn against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the next stage of qualifying for the 2027 U23 Africa Cup of Nations.
Qualification schedule
- DR Congo secured the matchup by recovering from a 1–0 home defeat to Mauritania in the opening leg.
- They reversed the result in the return fixture, winning 2–0 on home soil to progress 2–1 on aggregate.
- Nigeria are due to travel for the first meeting on November 9, before hosting the second leg on November 17.
- The team that prevails over the two matches will reach the final qualifying round for the 2027 U23 AFCON.
The competition forms part of the qualification pathway towards the football tournament at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Another meeting between the nations
The U23 tie comes fewer than 12 months after DR Congo knocked Nigeria’s senior side out of the African play-offs for the 2026 World Cup.
That encounter finished 1–1 after normal play, with DR Congo eventually advancing by winning the shoot-out 4–3. The upcoming November series will be an entirely different contest, involving the countries’ under-23 teams.
