Falconets storm Abeokuta for World Cup qualifier tie
Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Falconets, are due to arrive in Abeokuta on Tuesday as preparations continue for their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying fixture against Senegal.
The qualifier, originally scheduled to take place at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan, was relocated to the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta due to the poor condition of the Ibadan pitch.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Head of Competitions, Ruth David, confirmed the change of venue, stating that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had been duly informed and had approved the MKO Abiola Stadium to host the first-leg encounter slated for Saturday, February 7, 2026.
Despite the confirmation, the Falconets remained in Ibadan for several days as approval from the Ogun State Government was still pending. However, the issue has now been resolved.
NFF General Secretary, Dr Sanusi Mohammed, confirmed that the team would depart Ibadan for Abeokuta on Tuesday morning to commence final preparations for the match.
“The Falconets will travel to Abeokuta on Tuesday morning. The issue has been settled, and the state government is ready to host the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifier,” he said.
Nigeria reached this stage of the qualification campaign after recording a dominant 5–0 aggregate victory over Rwanda. The winner of the third-round tie between Nigeria and Senegal will advance to the final round of the qualifiers, where a place at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup will be at stake.
The return leg of the fixture is scheduled for February 14, 2026. The 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup will be held in Poland from September 5 to September 27.
