Falconets’ World Cup Qualifier Against Senegal Relocated To Abeokuta

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) request to change the venue for the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup third-round, first-leg qualifying match between Nigeria and Senegal. The fixture, scheduled for Saturday, 7th February 2026, will now take place at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Ruth David, NFF’s Director of Competitions, confirmed the venue change. The decision was prompted by the “deteriorating state” of the playing pitch at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan, which had initially been approved and hosted the Falconets’ second-round match against Rwanda U20 girls last September.

Consequently, the two-time FIFA World Cup silver-medalists, who have been training in Ibadan, are expected to relocate to Abeokuta within days to familiarise themselves with the MKO Abiola Sports Complex turf.

The Falconets advanced to this stage after a convincing 5-0 aggregate victory over Rwanda. The winner of this third-round tie between Nigeria and Senegal will progress to the final round of the qualification series, where they will face the victor of the Guinea Bissau versus Malawi match for a coveted spot at the final tournament, slated for 5th-27th September 2026 in Poland.