With assistant coach Deniran Ortega in charge, the Olympic Eagles are in Lubumbashi for a two legged tie that leads to the final round of U-23 AFCON qualifying.
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Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles have arrived in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, for the first leg of their 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifier, as FootballInNigeria.com.ng reports. All 23 invited players are now in camp.
Assistant coach Deniran Ortega will lead the team for both legs. Head coach Eric Chelle is with the Super Eagles, who host Tanzania in Uyo on the same day.
The first leg is scheduled for the TP Mazembe Stadium on Friday, November 13. The return fixture follows next Tuesday at the Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne. Readers following Nigeria’s Olympic route can see the Bet9ja promotion code overview.
The winner of the tie advances to the final qualifying round, where they will face either Sierra Leone or Burkina Faso in March 2027. The tournament also doubles as Africa’s route to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Nigeria had asked CAF to move the first leg over Ebola fears in DR Congo. The squad has now travelled to Lubumbashi for the scheduled game.
Nigeria received a bye in the first round, while DR Congo reached this stage by beating Mauritania. The Olympic Eagles have yet to play a competitive game in this campaign. Readers curious about welcome rewards can read about how Bet9ja bonuses convert.
The squad includes goalkeeper Michael Atata, Molde midfielder Daniel Daga, forward Abdulmuiz Adeleke and Brighton forward Zadok Yohanna. Nasarawa United striker Prince Bawa Oche replaced injured Suleiman Sani in a late change.
Friday is a double bill for Nigerian football. The Super Eagles face Tanzania at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo at 5:00pm WAT, while the Olympic Eagles play in Lubumbashi.
Ortega has a big task on his hands. Can the Olympic Eagles take a result from a tough away venue? New Bet9ja users can look up the YOHAIG offer for new Bet9ja users before Friday’s games.
The return leg in Ikenne on November 17 will decide the tie. A good result in Lubumbashi would give the Eagles something to defend at home.
📌 Did You Know?
- Nigeria last played in the men’s Olympic football tournament in 2016, where they won bronze in Rio.
- Chelle holds both the Super Eagles and Olympic Eagles jobs under his new contract, which is why the two games clash.
- Egypt will host the 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations finals.
- The Olympic Eagles played a friendly against Remo Stars as part of their preparations.
- Chelle’s provisional list had four goalkeepers, nine defenders, eight midfielders and 10 forwards.
- The Remo Stars ground in Ikenne also hosted the Super Falcons’ 5-0 win over Comoros in October.
