Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles have announced a 23-man squad for their crucial two-legged qualifying encounter against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the race for a place at the 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations.
Head coach Éric Chelle has selected a blend of home-based talents and foreign-based professionals, with several promising young players expected to strengthen Nigeria’s campaign.
Among the notable inclusions are goalkeeper Samuel James of Finland’s SJK FC, defender Christian Akpan of Belgian side Genk, midfielder Daniel Daga of Norwegian club Molde and forward Zadok Yohanna, who represents English Premier League side Brighton.
The squad also features Michael Atata, Victory Akpe, Vince Osuji, Peter Edokpolor and Umar Abubakar, adding further options across different positions.
Seven players from Nigerian clubs earned places in the final selection, while the remaining 16 currently play abroad, highlighting the growing presence of Nigerian youngsters in foreign leagues.
The first leg will take place on November 13 at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi, while the return fixture will hold on November 17 at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State.
Chelle will, however, miss the encounters because of his commitments with the senior Super Eagles. Assistant coach Deniran Ortega will lead the Olympic Eagles during the qualifiers.
Having received a bye in the opening qualifying round, Nigeria will begin their campaign in the second round against DR Congo.
Victory over the two-legged encounter will send the Olympic Eagles into the final qualifying round, where they must secure another win to book a place at the 2027 U-23 AFCON in Egypt and keep their hopes of reaching the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games alive.
