Nigeria’s Olympic dream has suddenly acquired a dangerous obstacle after DR Congo booked a second-round meeting with Eric Chelle’s Olympic Eagles in the 2027 U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Footynaija reports.
The Leopards overturned a 1-0 first-leg defeat by beating Mauritania 2-0 in Lubumbashi on Tuesday, October 6. Mabete struck in the 16th minute before Candidat Mapendo sealed the comeback in the 78th, sending DR Congo through 2-1 on aggregate.
Nigeria had received a bye into the second round, where the draw paired them with the winner of the Mauritania-DR Congo tie.
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The first leg is scheduled for November 9, with the return fixture on November 17, leaving Chelle and his staff with little margin for error in a tie that carries consequences far beyond youth football.
Chelle was handed the Olympic Eagles job in June alongside his Super Eagles responsibilities, with the National Sports Commission describing the arrangement as part of a pathway linking Nigeria’s emerging players to the senior side. He has since appointed Bright Osehai Ozebagbe and Deniran Ortega to his U23 coaching staff.
The prize in Egypt is enormous. CAF’s 2027 U23 AFCON will provide Africa’s pathway to the men’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Seven teams will join hosts Egypt at the eight-team finals, meaning Nigeria must survive three rounds of two-legged qualifying ties to reach the continental tournament.
Nigeria have also missed the last two Olympic football tournaments, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. Their last appearance came at Rio 2016, where they won bronze. Now DR Congo stand between Chelle’s young side and the first serious step towards another Olympic campaign.
