According to a report by Vanguard News on Friday, November 13, 2026, Nigeria's hopes of returning to the men's football competition at the Olympic Games have suffered a major setback after the country's Under-23 national team, the Olympic Eagles, lost 2-0 to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the first leg of their second-round qualifying encounter for the 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations.

The disappointing defeat took place in Lubumbashi, where the Nigerian youngsters failed to take advantage of their early opportunities and eventually allowed their hosts to establish a two-goal advantage before the half-time break.

Nigeria started the encounter with the intention of securing a positive result away from home. However, Victor Samuel missed two promising opportunities in the opening stages, including a one-on-one situation against the Congolese goalkeeper.

The missed chances proved costly as DR Congo eventually opened the scoring in the 20th minute. Nigeria's goalkeeper, Samuel James, appeared to have been fouled during the build-up, but the referee allowed the goal to stand.

The situation became more difficult for the Olympic Eagles when Brighton youngster Zadok Yohanna was forced off with an injury. DR Congo subsequently increased their advantage through Felozefe Mabete, who found the net with an impressive free-kick before the interval.

Despite Nigeria's attempts to reduce the deficit in the second half, the home side maintained its defensive organisation and protected the 2-0 victory until the final whistle.

The result leaves Nigeria with a difficult assignment ahead of the return leg, as the Olympic Eagles must overcome the two-goal deficit when both countries meet again on Tuesday, November 17, at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne.

The encounter is particularly important because the 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, scheduled to take place in Egypt, will also serve as Africa's qualification tournament for the men's football event at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Nigeria last participated in Olympic men's football at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, where the country secured a bronze medal after defeating Honduras 3-2 in the third-place match. The Olympic Eagles subsequently failed to qualify for the 2020 and 2024 editions.

With the latest defeat against DR Congo, Nigeria's journey towards ending that Olympic absence has become more complicated. However, qualification remains mathematically possible if the team produces a strong performance in the second leg and overturns the aggregate deficit.