Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles have allowed seven players to leave camp after their Nigeria Premier Football League clubs requested their return for this weekend’s matches.

Quick facts

• Seven players have departed the Olympic Eagles camp for NPFL club commitments.
• The squad completed two closed training sessions on Thursday in Ikenne.
• Nigeria meet DR Congo in a two-leg U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on November 13 and 17.
• The aggregate winners will reach next year’s U23 AFCON in Egypt.

Those released are Rivers United’s Utake Emmanuel; Nasarawa United trio Joshua Jofrank, Olughu Onu Chinemerem and Muhammad Muhammad Umar; Bendel Insurance player Owelayafa Alex; Sporting Lagos forward Samuel Victor Umoh; and Ikorodu City’s Ikechukwu Junior.

Preparations continued on Thursday at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, where the Olympic Eagles staged two sessions ahead of next month’s qualifying clash with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The players worked for two hours in the morning and completed another two-hour workout later in the day. Media representatives were not permitted to attend either session.

Head coach Éric Chelle called up 31 locally based players for the camp. The group includes four goalkeepers, nine defenders, eight midfielders and 10 attackers.

Nigeria will travel to Lubumbashi for the first leg against DR Congo on Friday, November 13. The return fixture is scheduled for Tuesday, November 17, at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo.

The side that wins the tie across both matches will qualify for the U23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt next year.