Nigeria Face Mauritania or DR Congo in 2027 U-23 AFCON Qualifiers

Nigeria will face Mauritania or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second round of qualifying for the 2027 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations. The two-legged tie is scheduled for 9 and 17 November 2026, with Nigeria hosting the first match.

The draw was held in Cairo on Tuesday. Nigeria were among 14 teams placed directly into the second round because of their performances across the last three editions of the U-23 AFCON.

Mauritania and DR Congo must first settle their opening-round contest before Nigeria’s opponent is confirmed. The first round will be played over two legs, with matches set for 28 September and 6 October 2026.

DR Congo finished second in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations standings with seven points from three matches. Their record was two wins and one draw, with five goals scored and one conceded. Their five most recent listed results were a 2-1 defeat by England, a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan, a 1-0 loss to Colombia, a 1-1 draw against Portugal and a 2-1 defeat by Chile.

Nigeria must win the second-round tie to reach the final qualifying stage. The winner will then meet the team that comes through the tie involving Burkina Faso and either Sierra Leone or Zambia.

Seven countries will qualify for the 2027 finals, joining hosts Egypt in an eight-team tournament. The competition will also determine Africa’s representatives for the men’s football tournament at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.