Olympic Eagles get U-23 AFCON qualifiers foes

Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles will face either Mauritania or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second round of the 2027 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after receiving a bye into the stage, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The draw was held in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday, with Nigeria among 14 nations given a bye into the second round based on their performances in the last three editions of the competition.

Mauritania and the Democratic Republic of Congo will meet in the first round, with the winner advancing to face Nigeria.

The first-round ties are scheduled for September 28 and October 6, while Nigeria’s second-round fixtures will be played on November 9 and 17, with the Olympic Eagles playing the first leg away from home.

If Nigeria progress, they will face the winner of the tie involving Burkina Faso and either Sierra Leone or Zambia in the third and final round, scheduled for March 22-30, 2027.

Seven teams will qualify for the finals alongside hosts Egypt, with the eight-team tournament also serving as Africa’s qualifying competition for the men’s football event at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Nigeria missed out on the Paris 2024 Olympics after losing to Guinea in the final qualifying tournament and will be seeking a return to the continental competition.

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle will also oversee the Olympic Eagles during the qualifying campaign as part of his expanded responsibilities with Nigeria’s national teams.

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