Nigeria U23s: Ebola scare raises doubts over DR Congo first leg

Nigeria's Olympic Eagles, coached by Eric Chelle, may not play their U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Lubumbashi after an Ebola outbreak in DR Congo raised travel and quarantine concerns, Legit.ng reports.

Nigeria meet DR Congo in the second round of qualifying. The first leg is scheduled for 13 November at TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi, with the return on 17 November at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne.

Legit.ng says travel and quarantine restrictions linked to the outbreak could lead to the away leg being moved to a neutral venue. It stresses that no decision has been announced.

The outbreak behind the concern

Legit.ng cites DRC Ministry of Health figures of more than 9,800 cases and over 4,700 deaths since the outbreak began in May. In an update on 23 October, the World Health Organization called for stronger cross-border monitoring and advised against blanket travel or trade restrictions, as reported by Legit.ng.

Camp is already open

Chelle invited 31 home-based players to the Olympic Eagles camp, which opened on Sunday 25 October at the AM2PM Hotel in Ijebu-Ode. The provisional squad has four goalkeepers, nine defenders, eight midfielders and 10 forwards.

Nigeria received a first-round bye, while DR Congo beat Mauritania to reach this stage. The winner goes into the final qualifying round, and the tournament in Egypt doubles as Africa's qualifier for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Analysis: a venue change would reshape the tie

If the first leg stays in Lubumbashi, Nigeria's young home-based squad would face a testing away trip before the return in Ikenne. If it is moved, the usual home advantage that DR Congo would have had in the first leg disappears, which would help a team that has not yet played a competitive match in this campaign.

Either way, preparation time is short. Chelle also has the senior team's Tanzania games to plan for, a workload we covered in our piece on his double duty, and our Group L breakdown shows how much is riding on those games. A decision from CAF on the venue is the next thing to watch.