The Nigeria U-23 team have qualified for the CAF African Championship on a 2-1 aggregate scoreline after forcing their Congolese counterparts to a goalless draw at the Stade Municipal du Pointe Noire on Sunday.
The U-23 men, coached by Samson Siasia, have thus joined Senegal, Algeria, Egypt, Zambia, Tunisia and South Africa, with either Mali or Gabon, in the CAF tournament to be held in Dakar from November 28 to December 11. The top three teams at the tournament will represent Africa at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Brazil.
Nigeria had won the first leg fixture 2-1 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, a fortnight ago as Junior Ajayi scored a brace, while Moise Nkounkou pulled one back for the visitors.
All they needed was the draw, which they got, but Usman Mohammed came close to putting Nigeria in the lead only for goalkeeper Christoffer Mafoumbi to stop the goal-bound shot.
Senegal will host the inaugural Africa Under-23 Championship in December to decide who will represent Africa at the football event of the Olympics in Rio in 2016.