Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles will take on either Mauritania or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second round of the 2027 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. They got a bye into this stage, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
The draw happened in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday. Nigeria is among 14 countries that received a bye into the second round due to their performances in the last three editions of the competition.
Mauritania and the Democratic Republic of Congo will clash in the first round. The winner of that match will then face Nigeria.
The first-round matches are set for September 28 and October 6. Nigeria’s second-round games will take place on November 9 and 17. The Olympic Eagles will play the first leg away from home.
If Nigeria moves on, they will meet the winner of the match between Burkina Faso and either Sierra Leone or Zambia in the third and final round. This round is scheduled for March 22-30, 2027.
Seven teams will qualify for the finals alongside hosts Egypt. The eight-team tournament will also serve as Africa’s qualifier for the men’s football event at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Nigeria missed the chance to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics after losing to Guinea in the final qualifying tournament. The team is eager to return to the continental competition.
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle will also manage the Olympic Eagles during the qualifying campaign. This is part of his new role with Nigeria’s national teams.
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