Nigeria’s U-23 national team, the Olympic Eagles, will continue their preparations for the upcoming 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifiers with a second friendly against Nigeria National League side Grassrunners FC.
The match is scheduled for Friday, November 6, 2026, at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State, with kick-off at 3pm.
The encounter will give head coach Éric Chelle and his technical crew another opportunity to assess the players, test their tactical organisation and improve the team’s match fitness ahead of the two-legged qualifying tie against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Olympic Eagles resumed preparations in camp on Sunday, October 25, and have already played one friendly against Nigeria Premier Football League side Remo Stars.
That match ended in a goalless draw on October 31, providing the coaching staff with an initial opportunity to assess the squad in a competitive setting.
Friday’s fixture against Grassrunners will serve as the team’s second preparatory test as the technical crew continues to fine-tune its options before the international assignment.
Nigeria will face DR Congo in the second round of the qualifiers, with the first leg scheduled for November 13 at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi. The return leg will take place on November 17 at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne.
The winner over the two legs will advance to the final qualifying round of the 2027 U-23 AFCON, which will be hosted by Egypt and also determine Africa’s representatives at the men’s football tournament of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Nigeria are seeking a return to Olympic men’s football after missing the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 editions. The country last featured at Rio 2016, where the Olympic Eagles won bronze.
Chelle’s side will hope to use the remaining preparation period to build cohesion and sharpen their performance ahead of the challenging encounter with DR Congo.
