Abeokuta: The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) request for a change of venue for the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup third-round qualifying match between Nigeria and Senegal. The first-leg encounter, initially planned for Feb. 7, will now take place at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the NFF Director of Competitions, Ruth David, confirmed the development in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja. David explained that the change of venue was necessitated by the deteriorating condition of the pitch at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan, which was previously approved for the match. She noted that the Ibadan stadium had hosted the Falconets’ second-round, second-leg fixture against Rwanda in September 2025.
Following this development, the Falconets, who have been training in Ibadan, are expected to relocate to Abeokuta in the coming days to familiarise themselves with the new playing surface. Nigeria, two-time FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup silver medallists, qualified for the third round after defeating Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate.
The winners of the tie between Nigeria and Senegal will advance to the final round of the African qualifiers, where they will face the winners of the fixture between Guinea-Bissau and Malawi for a place at the tournament. The 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup is scheduled to be held in Poland from Sept. 5 to Sept. 27. NAN reports that the return leg is set for Feb. 14 in Dakar, Senegal.