New worry for Eric Chelle as Nigeria face DR Congo or Mauritania in U23 AFCON qualifiers

Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles will face either DR Congo or Mauritania in the second round of the 2027 U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Soccernet.ng reports.

The draw was held in Cairo on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Nigeria were one of 14 teams given a first-round bye, but their route to the tournament now includes a difficult two-legged tie against the winner of the Mauritania-DR Congo contest.

The U23 AFCON will be played in Egypt and will also decide Africa’s qualifiers for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Seven teams will qualify for the tournament alongside hosts Egypt. A total of 42 countries are involved in the qualifying race.

Nigeria: A difficult start for Chelle

Nigeria will not play in the first round, which is scheduled to feature 14 two-legged ties.

Mauritania and DR Congo must first meet home and away before Nigeria enter the competition. The winner will then face the Olympic Eagles in the second round between November 9 and November 17, 2026.

That creates an early selection problem for Eric Chelle. The former Mali coach has been given responsibility for Nigeria’s U23 team while also working with the senior Super Eagles. He must now build a squad that can deal with a demanding African qualifier and a short preparation period.

Nigeria’s second-round tie will be played over two legs. The winner will advance to the final round, where seven teams will fight for the available U23 AFCON places.

A meeting with DR Congo could bring a more physical test, while Mauritania would offer a different challenge. Either opponent would arrive with two competitive matches already played before facing Nigeria.

That could give Nigeria less room for mistakes. The Olympic Eagles have also had little margin for error in recent qualification campaigns.

Nigeria failed to reach the 2023 U23 AFCON after a 2-0 aggregate defeat by Guinea. The first leg in Abuja ended 0-0 before Guinea won the return match 2-0 at the Stade Moulay Hassan in Rabat, Morocco. That result also ended Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The previous cycle was also disappointing. Nigeria went out at the group stage of the 2019 U23 AFCON and did not qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

Olympic history adds pressure

Nigeria have a strong record in Olympic football, which makes the recent failures harder to ignore. The country won Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996, silver in Beijing in 2008 and bronze in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

The 2027 U23 AFCON therefore offers Chelle a chance to start a new Olympic cycle, but the path is not simple. Nigeria must first survive the second round and then win a final two-legged tie to reach Egypt.

Super Eagles coach Chelle has been working on a pool of young players who can fit into the Olympic Eagles setup.

Players based in Europe, including Uchenna Ogundu, Zadok Yohanna, Suleiman Sani, Umar Abubakar and Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, are among the young talents linked with the squad planning.

Chibuike Nwaiwu, who plays for Trabzonspor, can also provide defensive strength in midfield, while other players from European clubs and the NPFL are expected to compete for places.

Chelle's senior-team role could also help him identify players who are ready to step into a higher level of international football. That could be important because the U23 qualifiers will come during a busy period of the European and African football calendars.

Nigeria's first task, however, is clear. The Olympic Eagles must wait for the winner of Mauritania and DR Congo before their November assignment is confirmed. Then Chelle must guide Nigeria through two legs and keep their Olympic dream alive.