Ugandan referee Duula Joshua to handle Olympic Eagles' first leg in DR Congo

Nigeria's Olympic Eagles will open their 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against the Democratic Republic of Congo under a Ugandan referee, Duula Joshua.

The first leg is set for the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi on Friday, 13 November. The match falls in the second round of the qualifiers.

Joshua will be joined by three fellow Ugandans. Brianson Musisi is the first assistant referee and Katerega Ashiraf the second, while William Oloya takes the fourth official's role.

Two officials from the Central African Republic complete the team. Jean Marie Koyakobo will serve as match commissioner and Alain Brice Letokouzou as referee assessor.

Return leg in Ikenne

The tie will be settled in Nigeria. The reverse fixture is scheduled for the Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne, Ogun State, on Tuesday, 17 November.

For Nigerian fans, that means a home date in Ikenne just four days after the away leg, with the team needing a strong result in Lubumbashi to make the second match comfortable.

The Olympic Eagles are the country's under-23 side, the team that carries Nigeria's hopes of reaching the U-23 AFCON, where Africa's slots for the Olympic football tournament are decided.

Playing the first leg away at TP Mazembe's ground, a venue with a strong home following in Congolese football, puts the early pressure on the Nigerian side. A disciplined away performance would leave the return leg in Ikenne as the decider.

What happens next: the Olympic Eagles travel to Lubumbashi for the 13 November first leg, then host DR Congo in Ikenne on 17 November. The winner over the two legs moves on in the race for a place at the 2027 U-23 AFCON.