‘We’ll Do Our Talking On The Pitch’: Ozebagbe Backs Nigeria U23 To Overcome DR Congo In Olympic Qualifier
Nigeria’s U23 head coach Bright Ozebagbe has expressed confidence in his team ahead of Friday’s 2028 Olympic Games qualifying encounter against DR Congo, insisting that the players will do their talking on the pitch.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Lubumbashi, Ozebagbe said the outcome of a football match was not determined by whether a team played at home or away, but by its performance over 90 minutes.
The Ikorodu City coach stressed that consistency across the two legs would be crucial, with Nigeria seeking a positive result in the first meeting before hosting the return fixture.
Asked about his assessment of DR Congo’s U23 team, Ozebagbe said his priority had been preparing his players for the challenge rather than allowing the opposition to distract them from their task.
DR Congo coach Guy Bukasa, meanwhile, has made clear his ambition to secure a convincing home victory and put his team in a strong position to progress.
Bukasa is drawing confidence from his side’s performance against Mauritania in the previous qualifying round. After losing the first leg 1-0 away from home, DR Congo recovered to win the return 2-0 and advance.
Although he acknowledged Nigeria’s quality, Bukasa believes home advantage and the backing of the Lubumbashi crowd can help his team secure a first-leg advantage.
Friday’s encounter will be played at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi, with Nigeria scheduled to host the return leg at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne.
23 Players For Big Battles With DR Congo
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, 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).
