Olympic Eagles: Éric Chelle names 23-man squad for DR Congo AFCON U-23 qualifier

Olympic Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has announced a 23-man squad ahead of Nigeria's crucial 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations second-round qualifying fixture against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The selection features a blend of domestic talent and international experience, comprising seven home-based players alongside 16 professionals plying their trade abroad. Notable foreign-based names in the squad include Peter Edokpolor, Zadok Yohanna, Samuel James, Daniel Daga, Victory Akpe, and Vince Osuji.

The team and its official delegation are scheduled to depart Nigeria on Tuesday ahead of the first leg, which will be hosted at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi on Friday, November 13. The return leg is slated for Tuesday, November 17, at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo.

Full Squad List
Goalkeepers: Samuel James (SJK FC, Finland); Clinton Andy (Rivers United); Michael Atata (Ikorodu City).

Defenders: Christian Akpan (Genk FC, Belgium); Victory Akpe (FC Basel, Switzerland); Vince Osuji (Tromsø IL FC, Norway); Emmanuel Godwin (Pardubice FC, Czechia); Odinaka Alfred (Nasarawa United); Emmanuel Ochobi (Rivers United); Aliu Sugau (Barau FC).

Midfielders: John Otomewo (Reims FC, France); Daniel Daga (Molde FC, Norway); Wilfred George (Kristiansund FC, Norway); Chibuzor Nwoko (Fulham FC, England); Aderemi Adeoye (Ikorodu City); Sadiq Saleh (FC Metta, Latvia); Victor Samuel (Pardubice FC, Czechia).

Forwards: Peter Edokpolor (SL Benfica, Portugal); Sulaiman Sani (Al-Qadsiah FC, Saudi Arabia); Umar Abubakar (FC Famalicao, Portugal); Zadok Yohanna (Brighton FC, England); Abdullahi Umar (Hradec Kralove, Czechia); Abdulmuiz Adeleke (Sporting Supreme).