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Nigeria will face either Mauritania or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second round of the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations.
The draw for the qualifying competition was held in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday.
Nigeria’s U-23 Eagles are among the 14 teams that received byes into the second round based on their performances in the last three editions of the competition.
Should Nigeria progress from the second round, they will face winner of Burkina Faso versus Sierra Leone/Zambia for a place at the U-23 AFCON.
The qualifying series will begin in September, with the first-round fixtures to be decided over two legs.
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The first legs are scheduled for Monday, 28 September, while the return matches will take place on Tuesday, 6 October 2026.
Nigeria will join the qualifiers in the second round, with the first-leg matches slated for Monday, 9 November and the return fixtures fixed for Tuesday, 17 November 2026.
The winners of the second-round ties will advance to the third and final round of the qualifying campaign.
Seven teams will eventually qualify for the tournament and join hosts Egypt at the eight-team 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations finals.
The competition will also serve as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the men’s football event at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
By Adeboye Amosu
