LA Olympic Race: U23 Eagles Land In Lubumbashi For DR Congo Clash
By Saheed Afolabi
Nigeria’s U23 men’s national team, the Olympic Eagles, have arrived in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, ahead of Friday’s first-leg encounter in the qualifying race for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
All 23 invited players are now in camp, giving the coaching crew a full complement of the squad as preparations intensify for the crucial encounter against their Congolese counterparts.
The Nigerian contingent is expected to use the remaining training sessions to fine-tune its tactical approach and build the necessary understanding ahead of the first leg, with the return fixture scheduled to take place at the Remo Stars Stadium, Ikenne-Remo, on Tuesday, November 17.
The squad features a blend of foreign-based and home-based players, with representatives from clubs across Europe, the Middle East and Nigeria.
Goalkeepers Samuel James of SJK FC, Finland, Clinton Andy of Rivers United and Michael Atata of Ikorodu City make up the goalkeeping department.
The defensive options include Christian Akpan of Genk FC, Victory Akpe of FC Basel, Vince Osuji of Tromsø IL, Emmanuel Godwin of Pardubice FC, Odinaka Alfred of Nasarawa United, Emmanuel Ochobi of Rivers United and Aliu Sugau of Barau FC.
In midfield, Nigeria will be counting on John Otomewo of Reims FC, Daniel Daga of Molde FC, Wilfred George of Kristiansund FC, Chibuzor Nwoko of Fulham FC, Aderemi Adeoye of Ikorodu City, Sadiq Saleh of FC Metta and Victor Samuel of Pardubice FC.
The attacking department comprises Peter Edokpolor of Benfica, Sulaiman Sani of Al-Qadsiah FC, Umar Abubakar of Famalicão, Zadok Yohanna of Brighton FC, Abdullahi Umar of Hradec Králové and Abdulmuiz Adeleke of Sporting Supreme.
The Olympic Eagles will be hoping to secure a positive result in Lubumbashi before returning home for the decisive second leg.
The aggregate winner will advance to the final qualifying round of the 2028 Olympic Games, which will be held in Egypt, as Nigeria continue their bid to return to the men’s football tournament at the Los Angeles Olympics.
