Here is the route the Nigeria U‑23 can follow to qualify for the 2027 AFCON and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Softfootball can confirm that the AFCON for the U‑23 men serves as the qualifying tournament for the Olympics, meaning the Nigerian U‑23 must qualify for the African Nations Cup before qualifying for the Olympics.
Egypt, who are hosting the U‑23 AFCON, have already qualified for the AFCON and technically for the 2028 Olympics.
Here is the route Nigeria has to follow:
Second Round (9–17 November 2026)
Nigeria 🇳🇬 vs Winner of Mauritania 🇲🇷 vs DR Congo 🇨🇩
Third Round (22–30 March 2027)
Winner of (Mauritania/DR Congo vs Nigeria) will face Winner of (Sierra Leone 🇸🇱 / Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 vs Zambia 🇿🇲)
Win both rounds → Qualify for 2027 U‑23 AFCON → Fight for Olympic ticket to LA 2028.
FULL FIRST ROUND FIXTURES (20 Sept – 6 Oct 2026)
- Sierra Leone 🇸🇱 vs Burkina Faso
- 🇧🇫 Mauritania 🇲🇷 vs DR Congo
- 🇨🇩 São Tomé 🇸🇹 vs Equatorial Guinea
- 🇬🇶 Togo 🇹🇬 vs Libya
- 🇱🇾 Tunisia 🇹🇳 vs Benin
- 🇧🇯 Kenya 🇰🇪 vs Tanzania
- 🇹🇿 Djibouti 🇩🇯 vs South Sudan
- 🇸🇸 Ethiopia 🇪🇹 vs Uganda
- 🇺🇬 Rwanda 🇷🇼 vs Sudan
- 🇸🇩 Comoros 🇰🇲 vs Madagascar
- 🇲🇬 Angola 🇦🇴 vs Namibia
- 🇳🇦 Seychelles 🇸🇨 vs Botswana
- 🇧🇼 Malawi 🇲🇼 vs Eswatini
- 🇸🇿 Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 vs Mauritius 🇲🇺
SECOND ROUND FIXTURES (9–17 Nov 2026)
- Sierra Leone/Burkina Faso vs Zambia
- 🇿🇲 Mauritania/DR Congo vs Nigeria 🇳🇬
- São Tomé/Eq. Guinea vs Niger 🇳🇪
- Togo/Libya vs Ghana 🇬🇭
- Tunisia/Benin vs Gabon
- 🇬🇦 Kenya/Tanzania vs Côte d’Ivoire
- 🇨🇮 Djibouti/South Sudan vs Senegal
- 🇸🇳 Ethiopia/Uganda vs Morocco
- 🇲🇦 Rwanda/Sudan vs Cameroon
- 🇨🇲 Comoros/Madagascar vs South Africa
- 🇿🇦 Angola/Namibia vs Congo
- 🇨🇬 Seychelles/Botswana vs Guinea
- 🇬🇳 Malawi/Eswatini vs Algeria
- 🇩🇿 Zimbabwe/Mauritius vs Mali 🇲🇱
THIRD ROUND PAIRINGS (22–30 March 2027)
Winner of Sierra Leone/Burkina Faso vs Zambia vs Winner of Mauritania/DR Congo vs Nigeria
(The other six third‑round ties will be decided the same way, consecutive second‑round winners paired against each other.)
