Nigeria Face DR Congo in Two-Leg Battle for Egypt 2027
By AUGUSTUS ISICHEI
Nigeria Begin Road to Egypt
NIGERIA’S Olympic Eagles will face DR Congo in the second round of the 2027 CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The first leg is scheduled for 9 November 2026, while the return fixture will take place on 17 November.
The tie represents Nigeria’s opening hurdle on the road to the tournament in Egypt.
The competition carries added importance because the U-23 AFCON will serve as Africa’s qualification route to the men’s football event at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
14 Teams Advance
The second round has taken shape following the completion of the opening round.
Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Tunisia, Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Madagascar, Angola, Botswana, Eswatini and Zimbabwe secured places in the next phase.
They will join 14 seeded teams that received byes into the second round.
CAF has confirmed that the 14 second-round winners will progress to the final qualifying round. Seven teams will eventually emerge from that stage to join hosts Egypt at the 2027 finals.
Full Second-Round Schedule
The 9th November first-leg fixtures will see Zambia host Burkina Faso, while Nigeria welcome DR Congo.
Niger will face Equatorial Guinea, and Ghana will take on Libya. Gabon will meet Tunisia, while Côte d’Ivoire face Kenya.
Elsewhere, Senegal will play Djibouti, Morocco will host Ethiopia, and Cameroon will face Rwanda.
South Africa will meet Madagascar, while Congo take on Angola. Guinea will face Botswana, Algeria will battle Eswatini, and Mali will meet Zimbabwe.
The return fixtures will follow on 17th November, with the venues reversed.
Final Hurdle Comes in March
The teams that survive the second round will enter the decisive final qualifying stage.
CAF has scheduled the third-round first legs for 22 March 2027, with the return fixtures set for 30 March.
Seven aggregate winners will secure places at the U-23 AFCON alongside hosts Egypt.
For Nigeria, the immediate task is clear: negotiate the two-legged contest with DR Congo before turning attention to the final hurdle on the road to Egypt.
