An injury to Al-Qudsiah’s Suleiman Sani forces a late change as the Olympic Eagles prepare for a two-legged tie with DR Congo, with assistant coach Deniran Ortega in charge.
Want our football coverage to show up first?
Add FootballInNigeria as a preferred source and our stories get a "Preferred" badge in your Google Top Stories, AI Overviews, and AI Mode results.
Nasarawa United striker Prince Bawa Oche has been called into the Olympic Eagles squad as a late replacement for injured forward Suleiman Sani, as FootballInNigeria.com.ng reports. Nigeria face DR Congo in a two-legged 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifier, starting in Lubumbashi on Friday.
Sani’s Saudi club, Al-Qudsiah, told the NFF he would be unavailable because of injury. Oche’s call-up lifts the number of home based players in the squad to eight, with 15 based abroad.
The home based players were due to leave Nigeria on Tuesday to link up with their foreign based teammates. The first leg is set for the TP Mazembe Stadium on Friday, November 13. Readers planning to back Nigerian sides this week can check the Bet9ja bonus code guide.
Head coach Eric Chelle named the squad but will not be on the touchline. The Super Eagles also play Tanzania in Uyo on the same day. Assistant coach Deniran Ortega is expected to lead the Olympic Eagles instead.
The 23 man group includes goalkeeper Michael Atata, Molde midfielder Daniel Daga and forward Abdulmuiz Adeleke. Brighton forward Zadok Yohanna is also in the squad.
The return leg follows on Tuesday, November 17, at the Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne. The winner moves into the final qualifying round, where they will face Sierra Leone or Burkina Faso. New Bet9ja users can look up Bet9ja’s YOHAIG promo before the double-header.
The tournament doubles as Africa’s qualifier for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, with Egypt hosting the finals. Nigeria last played at the men’s Olympic football event in 2016 in Rio, where they won bronze.
Nigeria received a bye in the first round, while DR Congo reached this stage by eliminating Mauritania. Reports also said FIFA found DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi ineligible but dismissed Nigeria’s complaint on technical grounds.
An Ebola outbreak in DR Congo raised questions last month about where the first leg would be played. The latest reports still list the match for Lubumbashi.
Whatever happens in Lubumbashi, the tie will be settled in Ikenne. Supporters following the Olympic Eagles can also see the Bet9ja welcome offer before the second leg.
Can Ortega’s side take a result from Lubumbashi while Chelle is in Uyo? The answer will shape Nigeria’s road to Los Angeles.
📌 Did You Know?
- Chelle first invited 31 home based players, who gathered on October 25 at a hotel in Ijebu-Ode.
- That provisional group had four goalkeepers, nine defenders, eight midfielders and 10 forwards.
- Chelle holds both the Super Eagles and Olympic Eagles jobs under his new contract, which is why the two fixtures clash.
- A Ugandan official has been appointed to referee the first leg.
- The Super Eagles kick off against Tanzania in Uyo at 5:00pm WAT on Friday.
