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Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles gathered all 31 invited players on the pitch ahead of their qualifying match against the Democratic Republic of Congo as the team begins its bid to return to the 2028 Olympic Games men’s football tournament in Los Angeles.
The latest arrivals were Rangers International trio Chimobi Igwilo, Kenneth Igboke and Chibueze Oputa, who joined the camp on Tuesday after playing for the Enugu-based club against MC Alger in the CAF Champions League. Project reports
The three players were exempted from the team’s first training session following their participation in the continental match, while the other 28 players attended the opening training session at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State.
Coach Éric Chelle led the session, which began with stretching and muscle relaxation exercises before the players moved on to soft ball work, passing exercises and small-sided play despite the rain.
The team is staying at the AM2PM Hotel in Ijebu-Ode, with the Remo Stars Stadium serving as their training ground and scheduled venue for the return match against DR Congo.
The Rangers trio join the squad as preparations intensify
The arrival of Igwilo, Igboke and Oputa completed the 31-man squad assembled by Chelle for the second round qualifying tie.
The squad is made up entirely of homegrown players from clubs in Nigeria’s national leagues, giving coaching staff the opportunity to evaluate local talent ahead of crucial matches.
The players are distributed between four goalkeepers, nine defenders, eight midfielders and 10 forwards.
Nasarawa United, Rivers United, Sporting Lagos and Ikorodu City are among the clubs with the most representatives, alongside Warri Wolves, Enyimba, Bendel Insurance, Rangers International and other national teams.
It is expected that the technical group will use the upcoming training sessions to improve their understanding of the players, assess their fitness and work on the tactical approach for the double-header.
The team’s immediate challenge will be to prepare for the away match in Lubumbashi before returning to Nigeria for the return match.
Dates and locations of the meeting in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Nigeria will face the Democratic Republic of Congo at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi on Friday 13 November, before hosting the return match at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo on Tuesday 17 November.
The match is part of the qualifying series for the 2027 Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to take place in Egypt.
Nigeria received passage to the second round, while the Democratic Republic of Congo advanced after overcoming Mauritania in two legs.
Progress from the draw would take the Olympic Eagles to the final qualifying round of the continental competition. The tournament in Egypt will determine Africa’s representatives for the men’s football event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
With the two matches coming within close proximity, Nigeria will have to manage the demands of travel, recovery and preparation while seeking a positive result in both matches.
Olympic qualification offers Nigeria a chance to return
Beyond the immediate challenge against the Democratic Republic of Congo, the qualifiers represent an important opportunity for Nigeria to return to the men’s Olympic football tournament after missing the last two editions.
Nigeria has an illustrious history in Olympic football. The country won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games, becoming the first African nation to claim the men’s soccer title. The team then achieved silver at Beijing 2008 and bronze at Rio de Janeiro 2016.
However, Nigeria failed to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 men’s football tournaments, making the current campaign another opportunity to restore the country’s presence on the Olympic stage.
The Olympic men’s football competition is traditionally contested by under-23 teams, with limited exceptions for over-18 players under the competition rules. The qualification pathway therefore provides an important platform for emerging Nigerian footballers to gain international experience as they compete for a place in one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
For the Olympic Eagles, the immediate objective is to overcome the obstacle of the Democratic Republic of Congo and advance to the final qualifying round. Achieving that goal would bring the team closer to the continental tournament in Egypt and, ultimately, a possible return to Los Angeles in 2028.
Full list of Olympic Eagles players on the field
Goalkeepers
Chinemerem Olughu — Nasarawa United
Clinton Andy – Rivers United
Ebenezer Harcourt-Sporting Lagos
Michael Atata – Ikorodu City
Defenders
5. Give Subi: Lupi Warri
6.Hillary Zion-Sporting Lagos
7. Emmanuel Utake — Rivers United
8.Chibueze Oputa-Rangers International
9. Wonderful Freedom: Ikorodu City
10. Kenneth Igboke – Rangers International
11. Odinaka Alfred — Nasarawa United
12. Emmanuel Ochobi – Rivers United
13. Aliu Sugau — Barau FC
Midfielders
14. Freeman Wuchirwe – Bendel Insurance
15. Victor Samuel — Sporting Lagos
16. Umar Mohammed — Nasarawa United
17. Lucky Oraro – Lupi Warri
18. Aderemi Adeoye — Ikorodu City
19. Sani Shuaibu – Lupi Warri
20. Muhammad Salihu — Sporting Lagos
21. Jude Eventus — Warri Lupi
Forward
22. Junior Ikechukwu — Ikorodu City
23. Timoteo Zaccaria – Fiumi Uniti
24. Williams Wonah — Enyimba FC
25. Ayoola Olaniyan — Sporting Lagos
26. Chijioke Samuel — Enyimba FC
27. Jofrank Joshua – Nasarawa United
28. Chimobi Igwilo — Rangers International
29. Alex Oweifaleya — Bendel Insurance
30. Abdulmuiz Adeleke — Sporting Supremo
31. Habila Simon — Wikki Turisti
The Olympic Eagles will now focus on refining their preparations for the double-header in November, knowing that a successful passage to the qualifying rounds would bring Nigeria closer to a return to Olympic men’s football after an eight-year absence from the Games.
