DR Congo Hand Nigeria 2-0 Defeat in First Leg of U23 AFCON Qualifier
Nigeria’s U23 Eagles suffered a 2-0 defeat to DR Congo in the first leg of their CAF U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying tie.
DR Congo scored twice in the first half to secure an important victory and put themselves in a strong position ahead of the return leg.
Nigeria had a few early chances to take the lead but failed to make them count.
The hosts took advantage and opened the scoring in the 20th minute before doubling their lead in the 40th minute through a well-taken free kick.
Nigeria also suffered an injury setback in the 30th minute when Zadok was forced off and replaced.
The Olympic Eagles tried to fight back in the second half and created some scoring opportunities but could not find the back of the net.
DR Congo held on to their advantage until the final whistle to claim a 2-0 victory.
The result means Nigeria must overturn a two-goal deficit in the second leg to keep their hopes of qualifying for the U23 AFCON alive.
