DR Congo 2-0 Nigeria: Olympic Eagles suffer double blow in U-23 AFCON qualifier

Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles suffered a 2-0 defeat to DR Congo in the first leg of their second-round 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifying tie in Lubumbashi on Friday, leaving them with a difficult task ahead of the return fixture.

A controversial ‘own goal’ by Samuel James and a strike from Filozofe Mabete handed the Congolese a two-goal advantage as Nigeria struggled to recover from a disappointing first-half performance.

The hosts took the lead in the 15th minute when James was adjudged to have turned the ball into his own net, putting Nigeria on the back foot.

The Olympic Eagles had an opportunity to open the scoring earlier when Victor Samuel found himself in a one-on-one situation with the Congolese goalkeeper in the ninth minute. However, he failed to convert the opportunity.

Nigeria’s problems worsened in the 35th minute when Mabete doubled DR Congo’s advantage with a well-taken free-kick, leaving the visitors with a difficult task heading into the break.

Nigeria also suffered an injury setback in the first half, with Zadok Yohanna forced off in the 30th minute.

Despite their efforts to get back into the contest, the Olympic Eagles could not break down the Congolese defence as the match ended 2-0.

From Olympic glory to qualification struggles

The defeat adds to growing concerns about Nigeria’s recent struggles in the U-23 category, especially given the country’s impressive history in Olympic men’s football.

Nigeria made history at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, becoming the first African country to win gold in the men’s football competition.

Led by players including Nwankwo Kanu, Jay-Jay Okocha, Sunday Oliseh and Taribo West, the team defeated Argentina 3-2 in the final, with Emmanuel Amunike scoring the decisive goal in the 89th minute.

Nigeria subsequently reached the quarter-finals at Sydney 2000 before missing the 2004 Athens Games.

The Olympic Eagles returned to the podium at Beijing 2008, winning silver after losing 1-0 to Argentina in the final. They also claimed bronze at Rio 2016, defeating Honduras 3-2 in the third-place match.

However, their fortunes have declined since that achievement.

Nigeria failed to qualify for Tokyo 2020 after finishing third in their group at the 2019 U-23 AFCON in Egypt. The Olympic Eagles also missed Paris 2024 after losing 2-0 on aggregate to Guinea in the final qualifying round for the 2023 U-23 AFCON in Morocco.

The failure to qualify for Paris meant Nigeria missed a second consecutive Olympic football tournament, having last featured at Rio 2016.

The country has also experienced contrasting fortunes at the continental level. Nigeria won the inaugural U-23 AFCON title in 2015 but failed to qualify for the 2023 edition, which doubled as Africa’s qualifying competition for Paris 2024.

The current campaign therefore represents another opportunity for the Olympic Eagles to rebuild their continental standing and move closer to ending their Olympic absence.

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Nigeria face uphill task in return leg

The result leaves Nigeria with a two-goal deficit to overturn in the return leg if they are to keep their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 U-23 AFCON alive.

Both teams will meet again on Tuesday, 17 November, at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State.

The Olympic Eagles will need a significantly improved performance on home soil, particularly in attack and defensive organisation, to overturn the deficit.

A place at the 2027 U-23 AFCON in Egypt is the immediate target, but the stakes extend beyond the continental competition. The tournament will also serve as Africa’s qualification pathway to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.