Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles face an uphill battle in their quest to progress in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) U-23 qualifiers after suffering a two-goal deficit against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the first leg.
The Young Leopards capitalised on their opportunities to secure a 2-0 advantage, putting themselves in a favourable position ahead of the return fixture against Nigeria.
DR Congo took the lead in the 15th minute when Josué Kimboma’s dangerous cross resulted in an own goal, giving the hosts an early advantage.
The Congolese side continued to apply pressure and doubled their lead ten minutes before half-time through Filozofe Mabete, who found the back of the net in the 35th minute.
The two goals ensured that the Young Leopards went into the half-time break with a comfortable 2-0 advantage over the Nigerian side.
For Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles, the defeat leaves them with plenty of work to do as they prepare for the decisive second leg.
The Nigerian team will have the opportunity to overturn the deficit when they host DR Congo at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on Tuesday.
The Olympic Eagles must produce a significantly improved performance, particularly in attack, to keep their qualification hopes alive and secure progression to the next stage of the AFCON U-23 qualifying campaign.
Playing on home soil could provide Nigeria with the opportunity to mount a comeback, but they will need to convert their scoring chances while remaining defensively disciplined against a Congolese side that has already demonstrated its attacking threat.
With a two-goal advantage, DR Congo will travel to Nigeria hoping to protect their lead, while the Olympic Eagles face a crucial test of character as they seek to keep their AFCON U-23 ambitions alive.
All eyes will now be on Ikenne on Tuesday as Nigeria attempts to stage a comeback in the second leg.
