Olympic Eagles Beat Grassrunners 3-1 Ahead of DR Congo Qualifiers

Nigeria's U23 team, the Olympic Eagles, have recorded a 3-1 victory over Grassrunners FC in a friendly match as they continue preparations for their upcoming 2028 Olympic Games qualifying fixtures against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The match, was played at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on Friday, November 6, gave the team another opportunity to test their performance before facing DR Congo in a two-legged qualifying tie.

Muiz Adeleke opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 11th minute, thus giving the Olympic Eagles an early advantage. The team maintained its lead until the second half, when Habila Simeon extended it with a goal in the 56th minute. Jude Otowowor added a third goal nine minutes later, putting Nigeria in a comfortable position at 3-0. Grassrunners FC eventually got on the scoresheet through Akani Fadel in the 82nd minute, but the goal was not enough to change the result.

The victory gave the Olympic Eagles a positive outcome in their second friendly match during the current preparation period. Their performance also offered the technical crew an opportunity to assess the players' understanding of the game and how well they worked together.

##A test before the real challenge ##
Although the friendly Match ended in Nigeria's favour, its importance goes beyond the result. The coaching crew needs to know how prepared the players are before facing a more demanding opponent. Playing against Grassrunners allowed the team to work on its attacking movements, defensive organisation and ability to create scoring opportunities. The three goals from different players also showed that Nigeria had more than one attacking option during the match.

However, the technical crew will still need to identify areas that require improvement, particularly as the team prepares to face DR Congo away from home. The Olympic Eagles will travel to Lubumbashi for the first leg on Friday, November 13. They will then return to Nigeria to host the second leg at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on Tuesday, November 17.

According to Punch, the team is expected to leave for DR Congo on Monday, November 9, subject to any last-minute changes to the travel arrangements.

##Attention turns to DR Congo##

The upcoming fixtures will be a more serious test of Nigeria's preparation. Unlike the previous match against Grassrunners, the qualifying matches will carry greater impact for the team's Olympic ambitions.

Getting a positive result in the first leg will be important before the return match in front of home supporters. The team will also need to maintain its concentration across both fixtures rather than depend only on the confidence gained from the friendly victory. For the players, the remaining days of preparation provide an opportunity to build on their performance, improve their understanding and work on any weaknesses identified by the coaching crew.

The 3-1 win has given the Olympic Eagles something positive to take into their next assignment. However, the bigger task lies ahead, as Nigeria prepares to face DR Congo in its bid to secure a place at the 2028 Olympic Games.