Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles suffered a 2-0 defeat to DR Congo in the first leg of their 2027 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying tie at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi.
Sports247 reports that the hosts took control of the encounter in the first half, scoring twice to put themselves in a strong position ahead of Tuesday’s return fixture.
Nigeria’s setback began in the 15th minute when Samuel James inadvertently turned the ball into his own net to hand DR Congo the lead.
The Congolese side doubled their advantage ten minutes later, with Filozofe Mabete finding the net in the 35th minute to make it 2-0.
The Olympic Eagles struggled to find a response before the break and were unable to reduce the deficit in the second half.
Nigeria also suffered an injury setback when forward Zadok Yohanna was forced off in the 30th minute, adding to the challenges facing the visitors during the encounter.
The result leaves the Nigerian side with a two-goal deficit to overturn in the second leg, scheduled for Tuesday in Ikenne.
The Olympic Eagles must now regroup, address the shortcomings from the first encounter and produce a much-improved performance on home soil if they are to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Although DR Congo hold the advantage, the tie is not over. Nigeria will need a determined comeback performance in Ikenne to turn the contest around and remain in the race for a place at the 2027 U-23 AFCON.
The job is not over yet!
