Olympic Eagles return to Nigeria for DR Congo rematch

Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles have departed Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, with their attention now firmly fixed on Tuesday’s decisive second leg of their 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifying tie.

The Nigerian delegation is scheduled to leave Lubumbashi on Saturday night and travel through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, before continuing to Lagos, with arrival expected on Sunday afternoon.

The Olympic Eagles return home trailing DR Congo 2-0 after suffering a disappointing first-leg defeat at the TP Mazembe Stadium on Friday.

DR Congo took control of the contest with two first-half goals, leaving Nigeria with a difficult task ahead of the return fixture.

Nigeria will now have to produce a significantly improved performance at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on Tuesday, November 17, if they are to keep their qualification hopes alive.

The Olympic Eagles need to win by at least three clear goals without conceding to overturn the deficit and advance to the final qualifying round.

The first-leg result was particularly frustrating for Nigeria after the team created early opportunities but failed to capitalise. DR Congo subsequently punished defensive mistakes to establish their two-goal advantage before the interval.

The setback was compounded by an injury to winger Zadok Yohanna, who was forced off before half-time and has since withdrawn from the squad.

Nigeria’s coaching staff, led for this assignment by assistants Deniran Ortega and Bright Ozebagbe in the absence of Éric Chelle, will now have limited time to prepare the players for what promises to be a high-pressure encounter.

The winner of the two-legged tie will advance to the third and final qualifying round scheduled for March 2027. The 2027 U-23 AFCON in Egypt will also serve as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the men’s football event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

With the Olympic Eagles now back on Nigerian soil, the challenge is clear: overturn a two-goal deficit, keep a clean sheet and revive the country’s hopes of returning to the Olympic football tournament after missing the last two editions.