Nasarawa United forward Prince Bawa Oche has been called up to the Nigeria U23 squad as a replacement for injured Sulaiman Sani ahead of the Olympic Eagles’ 2027 Africa U23 Cup of Nations qualifying tie against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Sani, who plays for Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah, will miss the two-legged encounter after his club confirmed that an injury would prevent him from honouring his national team invitation.
Oche has subsequently been drafted into the squad as head coach Éric Chelle makes a late adjustment ahead of the crucial fixtures.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had earlier announced a 23-man squad for the tie, with seven home-based players and 16 professionals based abroad. The home-based contingent is scheduled to depart Nigeria on Tuesday, November 10, while the foreign-based players are expected to join the team in Lubumbashi.
The first leg will take place at the Stade TP Mazembe in Lubumbashi on Friday, November 13. Nigeria will host the return fixture at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo on Tuesday, November 17.
The winner of the tie will advance to the final qualifying round, where they will face either Burkina Faso or Zambia for a place at the 2027 U23 AFCON in Egypt.
With qualification hopes at stake, the Olympic Eagles will be looking to secure a positive result in the first leg before returning home for the decisive encounter.
