According to a report by Daily Post on Thursday November 5, 2026, Nigeria's Olympic Eagles will face Grassrunners Academy in a friendly encounter on Thursday as preparations continue for their 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations second qualifying round tie against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The friendly will be the second test game for the Olympic Eagles since they began their training camp in Ikenne, Ogun State, as head coach Eric Chelle continues to assess the players ahead of the crucial qualifiers.

According to Daily Post, the Nigerian side previously played a goalless draw against Nigeria National League (NNL) outfit Remo Stars in their first friendly match.

Chelle will be hoping to see improvements from his players, particularly in their attacking performance, after they failed to find the back of the net against Remo Stars.

The encounter against Grassrunners Academy will provide another opportunity for the coaching crew to evaluate the players and identify those capable of making the final squad for the upcoming fixtures.

The former Super Eagles coach is also expected to reduce the number of players in camp after Thursday's friendly, making the match particularly important for those hoping to secure their places in the team.

Meanwhile, the invited foreign-based professionals are expected to begin arriving in camp this weekend to join their teammates as preparations gather momentum.

The Olympic Eagles will travel to Lubumbashi, DR Congo, for the first leg of the second qualifying round on Friday, November 13.

The return leg is scheduled to take place at the Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne on Tuesday, November 17.

Nigeria will be aiming to secure a positive result across the two legs to keep their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations alive.