Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles have welcomed two additional players to camp as preparations intensify for their crucial two-legged 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifying encounter against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The latest arrivals are Bawa Prince of Nasarawa United and Ayodeji Abayomi of Ikorodu City, bringing the number of players currently in camp to 25.
The duo’s arrival further strengthens the squad as the technical crew steps up preparations for the important second-round qualifying tie, with the team continuing its training programme at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State.
Tuesday’s training session focused on improving the players’ tactical understanding, technical execution and overall organisation as the coaching crew works towards building cohesion ahead of the encounter.
The Olympic Eagles had earlier played a preparatory friendly against NPFL side Remo Stars, which ended in a goalless draw, providing the technical crew with an opportunity to assess the players and identify areas requiring improvement.
Nigeria will travel to Lubumbashi for the first leg against DR Congo at the TP Mazembe Stadium on Friday, November 13, before hosting the return fixture at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on Tuesday, November 17.
The winner of the two-legged encounter will advance to the final qualifying round of the 2027 U-23 AFCON, scheduled to take place in Egypt. The continental tournament will also determine Africa’s representatives in the men’s football competition at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Nigeria received a bye into the second qualifying round, while DR Congo secured their place in the tie after overcoming Mauritania over two legs.
The upcoming contest represents an important step in Nigeria’s ambition to return to the Olympic men’s football tournament after missing the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 editions.
The Olympic Eagles will be seeking to revive Nigeria’s impressive history in the competition, having won gold at Atlanta 1996, silver at Beijing 2008 and bronze at Rio 2016.
With the DR Congo double-header approaching, the technical crew will be keen to maximise the remaining preparation period, sharpen the team’s tactical approach and secure a positive result over the two legs to keep Nigeria’s Los Angeles 2028 qualification hopes alive.
