LA 2028 Olympics: Olympic Eagles Receive First-Round Bye, Face DR Congo or Mauritania in U-23 AFCON Qualifiers
Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles have received a first-round bye and will face either the Democratic Republic of Congo or Mauritania in the second round of the 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The draw, conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Cairo on Tuesday, placed Nigeria among 14 highly ranked nations exempted from the opening round based on their performances in the last three editions of the competition.
The first-round ties are scheduled for September 28 to October 6, 2026, with Mauritania and DR Congo set to compete for a place in the second round against Nigeria.
Nigeria will host the winner of that tie in the second round, scheduled for November 9–17, 2026.
The Olympic Eagles must then advance through a third qualifying round, with the final tie scheduled for March 22–30, 2027, against the winner of the Sierra Leone/Burkina Faso versus Zambia contest.
Road to Los Angeles 2028
The 2027 U-23 AFCON in Egypt is crucial to Nigeria’s hopes of returning to the Olympic Games. The tournament serves as Africa’s qualification route for the men’s football event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Nigeria missed the last two Olympic football tournaments and will be determined to end that absence under head coach Eric Chelle.
The country has a distinguished Olympic football history, highlighted by the historic gold medal won at Atlanta 1996, followed by silver at Beijing 2008 and bronze at Rio 2016.
With Egypt already qualified as hosts, 42 teams will compete for the remaining seven places at the eight-team U-23 AFCON finals.
For Nigeria, the immediate objective is to overcome either Mauritania or DR Congo before navigating the final qualifying round and securing a place at the tournament in Egypt.
Nigeria’s Qualification Path
First round: September 28–October 6, 2026 — Mauritania vs DR Congo
Second round: November 9–17, 2026 — Nigeria vs winner of Mauritania/DR Congo
Third round: March 22–30, 2027 — Winner vs winner of Sierra Leone/Burkina Faso vs Zambia
U-23 AFCON: 2027, Egypt
Ultimate target: Qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games
