Nigeria Draw Mauritania/DR Congo In U-23 AFCON Qualifiers
Nigeria’s U-23 Eagles have been drawn to face either Mauritania or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second round of the qualifying series for the 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations.
The draw was conducted in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday, with Nigeria among 14 nations handed a bye into the second round based on their performances in the last three editions of the competition.
The first-round fixtures will be played over two legs, with the opening matches scheduled for September 28 and the return legs on October 6, 2026.
Nigeria will enter the competition in the second round, with the first leg scheduled for November 9 and the return leg set for November 17.
Should the U-23 Eagles overcome Mauritania or DR Congo, they will face the winner of the tie involving Burkina Faso and either Sierra Leone or Zambia in the final qualifying round.
Seven teams will qualify for the 2027 U-23 AFCON finals alongside hosts Egypt, completing the eight-team tournament.
The competition will also serve as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the men’s football event at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Nigeria will be aiming to return to the U-23 AFCON after missing out on qualification for the previous edition and subsequently failing to secure a place at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The draw was conducted in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday, with Nigeria among 14 nations handed a bye into the second round based on their performances in the last three editions of the competition.
The first-round fixtures will be played over two legs, with the opening matches scheduled for September 28 and the return legs on October 6, 2026.
Nigeria will enter the competition in the second round, with the first leg scheduled for November 9 and the return leg set for November 17.
Should the U-23 Eagles overcome Mauritania or DR Congo, they will face the winner of the tie involving Burkina Faso and either Sierra Leone or Zambia in the final qualifying round.
Seven teams will qualify for the 2027 U-23 AFCON finals alongside hosts Egypt, completing the eight-team tournament.
The competition will also serve as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the men’s football event at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Nigeria will be aiming to return to the U-23 AFCON after missing out on qualification for the previous edition and subsequently failing to secure a place at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
