Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle has invited 31 players to the U-23 Eagles camp as preparations begin for the country's 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifying tie against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The squad comprises four goalkeepers, nine defenders, eight midfielders and 10 forwards, giving the coaching crew a broad pool of players to assess ahead of the two-legged encounter.

The invited players are expected to report to the AM2PM Hotel in Ijebu-Ode on Sunday to begin preparations for the crucial qualifier. However, foreign-based players are scheduled to join the camp at a later date.

The coaching staff will use the training period to prepare the team for a challenging assignment against DR Congo, with a place in the next qualifying round at stake.

DR Congo will host the first leg at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi on Friday, November 13, 2026. Nigeria will then welcome the Central African side for the return fixture four days later at the Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne.

The aggregate winner over the two matches will progress to the final qualifying round. Consequently, Nigeria will be looking to produce a strong performance away from home before returning for the decisive second leg on familiar territory.

The timing of the camp is expected to give the technical crew an opportunity to assess the players, work on team coordination and establish a suitable approach for both fixtures. The inclusion of players across all four departments also provides options as the coaches consider their combinations for the tie.

For Nigeria, advancing past DR Congo would represent an important step towards qualifying for the 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations. The competition is scheduled to take place in Egypt and will also serve as Africa's qualifying tournament for the men's football event at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The continental tournament will determine which African nations secure places in the Olympic football competition, adding further significance to the qualifying campaign.

With the opening leg scheduled for November 13 and the return match set for November 17, Nigeria's preparations in Ijebu-Ode will be crucial to the team's hopes of progressing.

Chelle and his technical crew will aim to use the available training sessions to build a competitive squad capable of handling the demands of the two matches and keeping Nigeria's qualification ambitions on course.