Nigeria's Olympic Eagles suffered a 2-0 defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the first leg of their 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations second-round qualifying tie in Lubumbashi on Friday night.
Despite making a bright start and dominating the opening exchanges, the Olympic Eagles failed to convert their scoring opportunities.
DR Congo took the lead in the 15th minute when goalkeeper Samuel James inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.
The hosts extended their advantage 10 minutes before half-time, with Filozofe Mabete finding the back of the net to make it 2-0.
Neither side managed to score after the break as DR Congo held on to secure a comfortable first-leg victory.
The Olympic Eagles will now turn their attention to the return fixture, where they must overturn the two-goal deficit when they host DR Congo at the Remo Stars Sports Complex.
2027 U-23 AFCONQ: Olympic Eagles suffer 2-0 defeat to DR Congo in Lubumbashi