Nigeria U23 Eagles, defeated Ikenne-based club Grassrunners 3-1 in their final warm-up game at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on Friday.
The warm-up game is part of preparation for the 2027 U-23 AFCON second round qualifier with Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).
After a 0-0 draw with Remo Stars in their first warm up fixture, the U-23 Eagles overcame the third division side thanks to goals from Abdulmuiz Adeleke, Habila Simeon, and Eventus Itowo
Assistant coach Deniran Ortega took charge of the game while Eric Chelle was in the stands to monitor proceedings.
The starting XI from the previous game remained relatively the same, except for the introduction of Wonah Williams for Chimobi Igwilo and Salihu Batunba for Eventus Itowo.
Also Read: Remo Stars Hold U-23 Eagles To 0-0 Draw In Warm-Up Game
The U-23 Eagles will continue their preparation for the U-23 AFCON qualifiers against DR Congo, with the first leg scheduled for next Friday in Lubumbashi and the return leg billed for Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at the Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne.
Nigeria failed to qualify for the U-23 AFCON held in Morocco which the junior Atlas Lions won thanks to a 2-1 win over Egypt to land their first ever title.
Under former Super Eagles striker, Samson Siasia, Nigeria won their first and only U-23 AFCON title after beating Algeria 2-1 in the final.
Meanwhile the two teams that make it to the final of the U-23 AFCON will secure the two tickets to the football event of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The last time the U-23 Eagles featured at the Olympics was in Rio 2016, where they clinched the bronze medal.
By James Agberebi
