Ikenne:Lagos Nigeria's Olympic team is set to face a challenging two-legged tie against DR Congo as part of the TotalEnergies CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2027 qualifiers. This competition serves as Africa's pathway to the men's football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

According to Confederation of African Football, the second round of qualifiers begins on Wednesday, 11 November, with return fixtures scheduled between 15 and 17 November. A total of 27 teams are competing for 14 spots in the final qualifying round. Equatorial Guinea's withdrawal has resulted in Niger advancing automatically, leaving 13 ties to be played.

Nigeria's match against DR Congo is a highlight of this round. The Olympic Eagles will travel to Lubumbashi for the first leg on Friday, followed by a return match in Ikenne on 17 November. The squad includes notable players such as midfielder Daniel Daga and forward Abdulmuiz Adeleke. DR Congo's preparations have been hampered by injuries to key players.

Meanwhile, Ghana's Black Meteors will face Libya in Benghazi in their first-leg match. The Ghanaian squad features eight foreign-based players, including Barcelona B's Aziz Issah. Libya advanced to this stage after defeating Togo on aggregate. The second leg will be played in Accra on 17 November.

Elsewhere, Kenya will take on Côte d'Ivoire after eliminating Tanzania in the opening round, and Senegal will travel to South Sudan. Other notable matches include Morocco facing Ethiopia, Cameroon against Rwanda, and Tunisia clashing with Gabon. The winners of these ties will move on to the final qualifying round in March 2027.