Nigeria U-23 Eagles Draw Mauritania or DR Congo in AFCONQ

Nigeria's U-23 Eagles are set to compete against either Mauritania or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second round of the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations. The draw for this qualifying competition was conducted in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday.

Nigeria's U-23 team is among 14 teams that received byes into the second round due to their performances in the previous three editions of the tournament. If Nigeria advances, they will face the winner of the match between Burkina Faso and either Sierra Leone or Zambia for a spot at the U-23 AFCON.

The qualifying series will commence in September 2026, with the first-round matches scheduled to occur over two legs on 28 September and 6 October 2026. Nigeria will enter the competition in the second round, with first-leg ties on 9 November and reverse fixtures on 17 November 2026.

Seven teams will qualify to join hosts Egypt at the eight-team finals, which will also serve as Africa's qualifying event for the football tournament at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.