Poor Pitch Forces Venue Change from Ibadan to Abeokuta for Falconets’ U20 World Cup Qualifier

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved a request by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) 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, scheduled for Saturday, February 7, 2026, will now be played at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta, Ogun State, instead of the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan.

NFF Director of Competitions, Ruth David, confirmed the development, explaining that the request was necessitated by the deteriorating condition of the pitch at the Lekan Salami Stadium, which had earlier been approved to host the fixture.

“The playing surface has deteriorated,” David said, noting that the Ibadan venue had also staged the Falconets’ second-round, second-leg qualifier against Rwanda in September last year.

Following the venue change, Nigeria’s U20 women’s team, the Falconets, who have been camping and training in Ibadan, are expected to relocate to Abeokuta in the coming days to acclimatise to the turf at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex ahead of the crucial qualifier.

The Falconets, two-time FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup silver medallists, booked their place in the third round after overpowering Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate in the previous round of the African qualifying series.

The Nigeria–Senegal tie is a key step in the race for a place at the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup. The winner over two legs will advance to the final round of African qualifiers, where they will face the winner of the tie between Guinea-Bissau and Malawi for a ticket to the global tournament scheduled to hold in Poland from September 5 to 27, 2026.

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