Nigeria's Olympic Eagles have gathered all 31 invited players in camp as they prepare for their two-legged qualifying encounter against the Democratic Republic of Congo. The final arrivals were Rangers International trio Chimobi Igwilo, Kenneth Igboke, and Chibueze Oputa, who joined the camp on Tuesday after featuring for the Enugu-based club against MC Alger in the CAF Champions League. The team is staying at the AM2PM Hotel in Ijebu-Ode, with the Remo Stars Stadium serving as its training ground and expected venue for the return leg against DR Congo.
The arrival of Igwilo, Igboke, and Oputa completed the 31-man squad assembled by head coach Éric Chelle for the second-round qualifying tie. The squad is made up entirely of home-based players drawn from clubs across Nigeria's domestic leagues, offering the coaching crew an opportunity to assess local talent ahead of the decisive fixtures. The players are distributed across four goalkeepers, nine defenders, eight midfielders, and 10 forwards.
The coaching crew is expected to use the coming training sessions to improve the players' understanding, assess their fitness, and work on the tactical approach for the two-legged contest. The team's immediate challenge will be to prepare for the away fixture in Lubumbashi before returning to Nigeria for the second leg. The training sessions will be crucial in fine-tuning the team's strategy and building cohesion among the players.
Nigeria will travel to face DR Congo at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi on Friday, November 13, before hosting the return leg at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo on Tuesday, November 17. The tie forms part of the qualifying series for the 2027 Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to take place in Egypt. Progression from the tie would take the Olympic Eagles into the final qualifying round of the continental competition.
The 2027 Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt will determine Africa's representatives for the men's football event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Nigeria received a bye into the second round, while DR Congo advanced after overcoming Mauritania over two legs. With the two fixtures coming within a short interval, Nigeria will need to manage the demands of traveling, recovery, and preparation while seeking a positive result across both legs.
Beyond the immediate contest against DR Congo, the qualifiers represent an important opportunity for Nigeria to return to the Olympic men's football tournament after missing the last two editions. Nigeria boasts a distinguished history in Olympic football, having won gold at the Atlanta 1996 Games, silver at Beijing 2008, and bronze at Rio de Janeiro 2016. However, Nigeria failed to qualify for the men's football tournaments at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
The Olympic men's football competition is traditionally contested by under-23 teams, with limited exceptions for over-age players under the competition rules. The qualification pathway provides an important platform for emerging Nigerian footballers to gain international experience while competing for a place at one of the world's biggest sporting events. For the Olympic Eagles, the immediate objective is to negotiate the DR Congo hurdle and advance to the final qualifying round.
Key points
- Nigeria's Olympic Eagles have assembled a 31-man squad for the two-legged qualifying encounter against DR Congo.
- The team will face DR Congo at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi on November 13 and host the return leg at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo on November 17.
- A successful passage through the qualifying rounds would put Nigeria closer to a return to Olympic men's football after an eight-year absence from the Games.
