With just five days to the kick-off of Nigeria’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying clash against Senegal, the Falconets remain camped in Ibadan amid uncertainty surrounding the approved venue for the crucial encounter, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced on Friday that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had approved a change of venue for the third-round, first-leg qualifier scheduled for Saturday, February 7, 2026. The fixture was moved from the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan, to the MKO Abiola Sports Complex, Abeokuta, following concerns over the deteriorating condition of the Ibadan pitch.
Confirming the decision, NFF Director of Competitions, Ruth David, explained that the switch followed a recent inspection of the Lekan Salami Stadium’s playing surface. The Ibadan venue had previously hosted the Falconets’ second-round qualifier against Rwanda in September 2024, but its current condition was deemed unsuitable for the upcoming tie.
However, despite CAF’s approval and the NFF’s announcement, the Ogun State Government has yet to give final clearance for the match to be staged at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex. This delay has prevented the Falconets, who are already in camp in Ibadan, from relocating to Abeokuta to acclimatise to the new playing surface ahead of the decisive fixture.
A senior Ogun State Government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to The PUNCH that the request from the NFF is still awaiting official approval.
“Yes, we can confirm that the Nigeria Football Federation has requested that the match be moved here to Abeokuta, but the decision has not been made by the state government yet,” the official said.
“The governor, Dapo Abiodun, is yet to be formally briefed on the request, and the final decision will depend on his approval.”
The official added that hosting the match would be a positive development for Ogun State, citing the state’s previous experience hosting the Super Falcons and the quality of its sporting facilities.
Nigeria booked their place in the third round of the African qualifiers after recording a dominant 5–0 aggregate victory over Rwanda. The winner of the tie between Nigeria and Senegal will advance to the final qualifying round, where they will face either Guinea-Bissau or Malawi for a place at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, scheduled to take place in Poland from September 5 to 27, 2026.