FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Qualifier: Falconets to Face Senegal in Abeokuta
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved a request by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to change the venue of the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup third round, first leg qualifying match between Nigeria and Senegal.
The game, originally scheduled for the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan, will now take place at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Saturday, February 7, 2026.
NFF’s Director of Competitions, Ruth David, explained that the switch was necessary due to the deteriorating condition of the Ibadan pitch, which had hosted the Falconets’ second round, second leg clash against Rwanda last September.
The Falconets, two-time FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup silver medallists, have been training in Ibadan but will relocate to Abeokuta in the coming days to acclimatize to the new turf. Nigeria qualified for this stage after defeating Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate.
The winner of the Nigeria-Senegal tie will advance to the final round of qualifiers, where they will face either Guinea Bissau or Malawi for a place at the World Cup finals scheduled for September 5–27, 2026, in Poland.
