Nigeria’s U23 national team, the Olympic Eagles, are scheduled to depart Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, on Saturday night following their 2-0 defeat in the first leg of the second round of the CAF U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The team is expected to leave at 9:00 p.m. local time for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where they will connect to another flight to Lagos. Their arrival in Nigeria is scheduled for Sunday at 12:00 noon Nigerian time.

The Olympic Eagles suffered a disappointing 2-0 loss to DR Congo at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi on Friday, leaving them with a difficult challenge ahead of the return fixture.

Both countries will meet again on Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State, with Nigeria needing a strong performance to overturn the deficit and keep their qualification hopes alive.

To secure progression to the third round, Nigeria must win by at least three clear goals. A victory by two goals would take the tie to a penalty shootout, while any smaller winning margin would see DR Congo advance.

With the return leg fast approaching, the Nigerian team will be expected to regroup, address the weaknesses exposed in Lubumbashi and produce an improved display in front of their home supporters.