Nigeria draw Mauritania or DR Congo in 2027 U-23 AFCON qualifiers

Nigeria will face either Mauritania or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second round of qualifying for the 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations. The first leg is scheduled for 9 November 2026, with the return match set for 17 November.

The draw took place in Cairo on Tuesday, placing Nigeria among 14 teams that will begin the qualification campaign in the second round. The U-23 Eagles received the bye because of their performances across the previous three editions of the competition.

Mauritania and DR Congo must first settle their own tie before Nigeria’s opponent is confirmed. The opening round of the qualifiers will be played over two legs, with first matches scheduled for 28 September and the second legs on 6 October 2026.

Should Nigeria progress, the next assignment will be against the winner of the Burkina Faso versus Sierra Leone/Zambia tie. That matchup will form part of the third and final qualifying round, with the successful teams earning places at the finals in Egypt.

Seven nations will qualify from the campaign to join hosts Egypt in the eight-team 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations. The tournament will also determine Africa’s qualifiers for the men’s football competition at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

DR Congo would bring a stronger recent senior record into the possible tie than its latest results alone suggest. The country finished second in its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations group with seven points from three matches, winning two and drawing one while scoring five goals and conceding one. Its last five listed matches were a 2-1 defeat by England, a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, a 1-0 loss to Colombia, a 1-1 draw with Portugal and a 2-1 defeat by Chile.