Nigeria, Nov. 13 -- Nigeria's Olympic Eagles suffered a 2-0 defeat to DR Congo in the first leg of their second-round 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifying tie in Lubumbashi on Friday, leaving them with a difficult task ahead of the return fixture.

A controversial 'own goal' by Samuel James and a strike from Filozofe Mabete handed the Congolese a two-goal advantage as Nigeria struggled to recover from a disappointing first-half performance.

The hosts took the lead in the 15th minute when James was adjudged to have turned the ball into his own net, putting Nigeria on the back foot.

The Olympic Eagles had an opportunity to open the scoring earlier when Victor Samuel found himself in a one-on-one situation with the Congolese goalkeep...